Forces Help to Buy
- Headline benefits: Interest free advance of pay repayable over 10 years.
- Headline requirements: Regular service and completed 12 months service from date of enlistment and completion of Phase One Training.
Key actions
Availability: Anywhere in the UK
Overview
The Forces Help to Buy scheme allows Regular Serving Personnel to borrow up to 50% of their annual salary to a maximum of £25,000, interest free. This advance may contribute towards a deposit for owning your own home, solicitor’s and estate agent’s fees, and in some extenuating cases to adapt a current property as your family’s needs change.
All regular service personnel are eligible who:
- have completed the pre-requisite length of service
- are not a reservist or member of the Military Provost Guard Service
- have more than 6 months left to serve at the time they apply
- meet the right medical categories.
However, there may be instances where exceptions to the standard rules may be justifiable, especially where you have extenuating medical and personal circumstances.
Service Personnel can apply for Force Help to Buy one the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) portal, through the self service application. Full instructions are on the JPA portal in the Self Service User Guide: Applying for Pre-Approval for Forces Help to Buy document.
Other government-backed housing schemes can be used together with Forces Help to Buy.
Frequently asked questions
To encourage and support home ownership and to enable the option to self-build amongst eligible Service Personnel. The scheme aims to address the low rate of home ownership within the armed forces, as well as meeting the aims of the Defence Accommodation Strategy in recognising the positive impact owning a home can have during an inherently mobile career.
Regular Service Personnel who are not a reservist or a member of the Military Provost Guard Service.
Over 27,500.
Process for applying/accessing the scheme
Online application through the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) portal.
A minimum of 6 weeks before the expected purchase completion date.
The scheme has no end date. From 1 January 2023, the scheme will become permanent, ensuring its availability to all Service personnel now and in the future.
Generally about 4 weeks but it does depend on you providing the right information and responding to queries quickly.
Next steps
- https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk
- JSP 464 Part 1 Chapter 12 (Gov.uk)
- Forces Help to Buy: Help to Get onto the Property Ladder guidance on Gov.uk
- Talk to your Unit HR