Call for extension to help to buy scheme past 2021

Industry figures are calling on the Government to extend the scheme beyond 2021 because of the “significant” effect it would have in helping the country recover from Covid-19.

The loans can be used to purchase a new build property up to the value of £600,000, and can cover up to 20% of the price.

Since it was launched in 2013, 1,983 loans have been used in Wigan to buy properties, government figures show.

The loans have been worth a total of £82.24 million in the area.

Houses sold under the scheme have now reached £70.3 billion nationally over seven years, with 2019 responsible for nearly £16 billion of this.

The current scheme is to be replaced by a new one in April 2021, which is limited to first-time buyers with reduced regional property price caps – set at £224,400 for the North West.

The majority of loans (81%) in Wigan were taken out by first-time buyers.

Separate figures show the average property price for Wigan in February was £133,200, which is below both the current cap and the proposed one.

The Home Builders Federation said the scheme, which has been “integral” to housing supply, will effectively end in December as qualifying sales transactions will need to be agreed by then.

Executive chairman Stewart Baseley added: “The requirement for thousands of builders to register for a new scheme with as yet undefined rules would cause an inevitable interruption in its take up.

“As we look to increase production and restart the housing market, removing this barrier by extending the scheme could play a significant part in supporting and sustaining the

recovery.”

Last year saw 524 loans used in Wigan – the most in any year since the beginning of the scheme.

The average amount loaned was £45,000 in Wigan, significantly below the £69,400 across England.

The Mortgage Advice Bureau said house building has a huge economic footprint each year, and financial support for buyers must be maintained during the Covid-19 outbreak.

James Chidgey, its new homes relationship manager, said: “Since the aftermath of the credit crisis back in 2013, the innovative and very popular Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme has been a key driver in getting Britain building again, taken up by over a quarter of a million households when buying a new home.

“With housebuilders having construction work halted by Covid-19 for well over two months, it is imperative that the closure of the existing scheme is postponed enabling housebuilders to get sites up and running again over the summer.”

A spokeswoman from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “We have re-started the housing market week to help families and business return to normality in a safe way.

“The Government continues to work closely with all parts of the housing industry about the challenges they face during the pandemic.”