PRESS RELEASE : Forces Help to Buy scheme made permanent to help Service Personnel purchase housing [December 2022]

• FHTB encourages and supports Service Personnel to buy their own home.
• Under Forces Help to Buy (FHTB), Service Personnel may borrow up to 50% of their gross annual salary (up to a maximum of £25,000).
• Since its launch as a pilot in 2014, FHTB has contributed to a 16% increase in home ownership amongst Service Personnel.

The Forces Help to Buy scheme has been made permanent by the Government today, as part of the enduring commitment to supporting our Armed Forces.

The scheme enables Serving Personnel to borrow up to 50% of their gross annual salary (up to a maximum of £25,000) to encourage and support home ownership and enable the option to Self-Build. This advance is interest free, repayable over a maximum of ten years and is open to most regular personnel with more than 12 months’ service.

As set out in the Defence Accommodation Strategy from October 2022, the Ministry of Defence has been committed to making the scheme an enduring offer to support forces personnel in their ambitions to become homeowners.

Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families, Dr Andrew Murrison, said:

I am delighted to announce that the Forces Help to Buy scheme has been made permeant. This recognises the unique challenges that Service Personnel, and their families face and gives the opportunity to purchase a property to provide stability during their service.

The FHTB pilot initially began in 2014 and will become an enduring Ministry of Defence policy on 1 January 2023. It is expected that approximately 5,000 Serving personnel will use the scheme per year to help them with home ownership.

As well as supporting Service Personnel and their families financially, the scheme strengthens the accommodation offer, improves geographic stability for families and helps to prepare Service Personnel for transition to civilian life.