Forces Help to Buy mortgages
Fee-free mortgage advice for serving personnel using Forces Help to Buy. The MOD lends you up to £25,000 interest-free towards your deposit and buying costs. We find a lender that accepts it, and time the mortgage around your JPA application.
Forces Help to Buy pays towards the deposit and costs. It does not buy the house. You still need a mortgage for the rest, and lenders treat the loan and its repayment in different ways. That part is our job.
We check what you could borrow with the FHTB repayment already counted, pick a lender that is comfortable with forces pay, and line the mortgage up so the MOD has your application in good time. There is no broker fee at any stage.
Who can usually use Forces Help to Buy
- Regular personnel in the Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines or RAF
- You have completed the required length of service
- You meet the medical criteria
- You have more than six months left to serve when you apply
- You are buying your first home, moving on assignment, or extending your home because your family's needs have changed
Reservists and the Military Provost Guard Service are not eligible. The MOD makes the final decision, not us or your lender. The full rules are in JSP 464, and you apply through JPA. Your chain of command can confirm where you stand.
£25k
maximum loan, or 50% of your salary if that is lower
0%
interest, repaid from your pay over up to 10 years
6 wks
apply on JPA at least this long before completion
£0
broker fee from us, at any stage
How Forces Help to Buy and your mortgage work together
The FHTB loan and the mortgage are separate applications that run side by side. Getting the order right avoids a scramble before completion.
- Check your eligibility. Look at the FHTB rules on JPA and confirm anything you are unsure of with your chain of command.
- Get an agreement in principle. We work out your budget with the FHTB repayment counted, and get an agreement in principle from a lender that accepts the scheme.
- Find a home and apply on JPA. Once your offer is accepted, submit your FHTB application. The MOD asks for it at least six weeks before your expected completion date.
- Full mortgage application. We submit it with your payslips, ID and deposit details, including the FHTB loan.
- Conveyancing. Your solicitor handles searches and contracts. Legal and estate agent fees can be covered by the loan.
- Completion. The mortgage funds are released and you get the keys.
- Repayments from your pay. The loan comes back out of your salary, normally over up to 10 years. If you leave before it is repaid, the balance is recovered from your terminal benefits.
How long does Forces Help to Buy take?
The purchase is usually the slow part, not the FHTB application. From offer accepted to completion usually takes three to five months, and longer in a chain. The deadline to plan around is the MOD's: apply at least six weeks before your expected completion date.
| Stage | Typical timing | What to do about FHTB |
|---|---|---|
| Before you view | A few days | Check eligibility; get an agreement in principle |
| Offer accepted | Week 0 | Apply for the mortgage, and on JPA as soon as you can |
| Mortgage offer | Often 2 to 4 weeks | Keep your JPA application moving |
| Conveyancing | Often 8 to 12 weeks or more | Tell your solicitor you are using FHTB |
| Completion | Around 3 to 5 months in | JPA application in at least 6 weeks before this date |
Timings are typical, not guaranteed. New builds, chains and postings can all move the dates. Our mortgage timeline guide covers each stage in more detail.
Can you use Forces Help to Buy with…?
The questions we are asked most. Where GOV.UK and the MOD do not spell out an answer, check the current JSP 464 rules before you rely on it.
Buying together
A partner or joint mortgage
Yes, you can buy with a partner on a joint mortgage. The lender looks at both incomes and counts your FHTB repayment. If you both serve, check JSP 464 on whether each of you can apply.
Part-buy, part-rent
Shared ownership
Some lenders' criteria accept FHTB alongside shared ownership. You need to meet both sets of rules, so confirm the MOD position in JSP 464 and let us check lender criteria before you reserve.
New homes
A new build
Often, yes. The catch is timing: build dates slip, and your JPA application is tied to completion. Some lenders also cap borrowing lower on new builds. It can sit with a scheme such as Own New.
Moving
Moving on assignment
The MOD lists moving home because of a new assignment as a use of the scheme, as well as a first home. Whether you can take a further loan after using it before depends on JSP 464.
Home improvements
An extension
Extending a home you already own is allowed where your family's needs have changed. If you also need extra mortgage borrowing, we can look at a remortgage or further advance.
Not covered
Buy-to-let, second homes or abroad
The MOD lists three uses: a first home, a move on assignment, or an extension. Buying to let or a second home is not one of them. The published guidance does not cover homes outside the UK, so check JSP 464.
When does Forces Help to Buy end?
There is no end date. The scheme started as a pilot in 2014 and became permanent MOD policy on 1 January 2023. The GOV.UK guidance, last updated in January 2026, still describes it that way. Rules can change, so check JPA for the current version before you apply.
How lenders look at forces pay and your FHTB loan
- The loan as your deposit. Some lenders accept FHTB as your whole deposit. Others want some of your own savings as well.
- The repayment as an outgoing. Lenders typically count the monthly FHTB deduction when they work out affordability. It lowers the maximum you can borrow, so we build it in from the start.
- Your payslip. Basic pay, including X-Factor, is usually counted in full. Specialist pay and allowances vary between lenders, and accommodation charges are treated as outgoings.
Our military mortgages guide covers forces pay, service accommodation and leaving the forces in more depth.
If you are posted and want to let the home later
Postings happen. Letting a home you bought with FHTB needs two things: your lender's consent to let, and a check that you are within the MOD's rules in JSP 464. Consent to let, let-to-buy and buy-to-let are compared in our military mortgages guide. If you are overseas, read our guide to mortgages at a BFPO address.
Before you commit to a mortgage, check what cover you already have through the forces, then look for any gaps. We can talk you through life and critical illness insurance. What a policy pays depends on its terms, including how it treats service risks.
How we help serving personnel
Advice that fits around service life.
- Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award. Our forces work has been featured in the RAF Families Federation's Envoy magazine.
- No broker fee at any stage. The lender pays us on completion, so the advice costs you nothing whether you go ahead or not.
- A panel of 110+ lenders, including specialists. We are not tied to any of them, so we can match you to one that handles FHTB and forces pay well.
- We plan around JPA. We keep the mortgage and your FHTB application in step, so the six-week point does not catch you out.
- Phone, video and email, wherever you are based or posted, with one named adviser.
First home? See our first-time buyer mortgage advice. Moving? See purchase mortgages.
Forces Help to Buy mortgage FAQs
Is Forces Help to Buy still available in 2026?
Yes. It has been permanent MOD policy since 1 January 2023 and has no published end date. Eligible regulars can borrow up to 50% of their salary, capped at £25,000, interest-free.
Will the FHTB repayment reduce how much I can borrow?
Usually, yes. Most lenders count the monthly deduction as a commitment. How much difference it makes depends on the lender and the rest of your finances, so we work it out before you start viewing.
When should I apply for Forces Help to Buy?
Apply through JPA at least six weeks before your expected completion date. In practice, that means applying soon after your offer is accepted rather than waiting for a completion date.
What happens if I leave the forces before it is repaid?
Any balance you still owe is recovered from your terminal benefits. If you are close to leaving, lenders will also want to know about your income after service.
Find out what you could borrow with Forces Help to Buy.
A short call will show what a lender could offer with your FHTB loan and repayment counted, and when to apply on JPA. It is free, and there is no obligation.