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Supporting the Armed Forces onto the home ownership ladder.

What is the scheme?

From 1 January 2023, The Forces Help to Buy Scheme will become an enduring policy, ensuring its availability to all service personnel now and in the future. The scheme enables service personnel to borrow up to 50% of their salary, up to a maximum of £25,000 interest free towards the purchase of a property.

The aim of this scheme is to address the low rate of home ownership within the armed forces, as well meeting the aims of the Defence Accommodation Strategy in recognising the positive impact owning a home can have during an inherently mobile career.

Who can use the scheme?

All regular personnel who:

have completed the pre-requisite length of service

are not a reservist or a member of the Military Provost Guard Service

have more than six months left to serve at the time they apply

meet the right medical categories

However, there may be exceptions to these criteria, especially where there are special medical and personal circumstances.

For more information refer to JSP 464, volume 1, part 1, chapter 12 or contact the Joint Personnel Administration Cell:

Defence Business Services
Military Personnel
FHTB Section
Centurion Building,
Grange Road Gosport,
Hants PO13 9XA

Telephone internal: 94560 3600, option 4
Telephone external: 0141 224 3600

How much can be borrowed under the scheme?

This scheme allows service personnel to borrow up to 50% of their annual salary, to a maximum of £25,000. This can be used towards a deposit and other costs such as solicitor's and estate agent's fees.

How to get it?

Service personnel are to apply for Forces Help to Buy on JPA, through the self-service application for FHTB. Full instructions for completion is online in the JPA Self Service User Guide: Applying for Pre-Approval for FHTB.
JPA user guides and forms JPA - contact us
In exceptional circumstances only, where the individual has no permanent access to JPA, the JPA Form E035 may be used and forwarded to DBS Military Personnel FHTB Section at least 6 weeks before the expected purchase completion date.

Find out about buying a home

If you are considering buying a home, but have not done so before, you may wish to read some general information on how to buy one and understand better how the process works.

Below are links to useful information:

Other government schemes

Tax implications

Research

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Forces Help to Buy: help to get on the property ladder

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Supporting the Armed Forces onto the home ownership ladder.

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Combined Accommodation Assessment System: the new accommodation charging system explained

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Details of a new charging system for service family accommodation (SFA), a key element of the MOD New Employment Model Programme.

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A guide for Service families about applying for, maintaining, moving in and out of and living in UK Service Family Accommodation (SFA).

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Send us your complaint

We are so sorry something has gone wrong and we want to reassure you we will do everything we can to resolve it. Please give us as much detail as possible so we can assist you as soon as possible. Your feedback is vital to us, as it helps us to put things right and continue to improve our services, so we really appreciate you letting us know when things don't go to plan.

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We are so sorry something has gone wrong and we want to reassure you we will do everything we can to resolve it. Please give us as much detail as possible so we can assist you as soon as possible.

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20210921 - JOINT SERVICE HOUSING ADVICE OFFICE (JSHAO) brief dates-O

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Pembrokeshire kerbside sort recycling Materials - FINAL3

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Practical housing advice and support to veterans and their dependents.

If it hadn't have been for SSAFA I would have been in big trouble.
- Christian, Army Veteran

SSAFA can offer impartial support around housing issues for those who have left the Armed Forces. Our advisors cannot give you legal advice but they will look into your situation and can signpost you to organisations for help. If appropriate, they will try and source financial assistance that you might need to solve your housing problems, for example finding money for a rent deposit or to clear mortgage arrears.

Contact us today and we'll put you in touch with one of our specially trained volunteer caseworkers. Your caseworker will talk to you to find out more about your welfare needs and how SSAFA can assist you.

SSAFA's services are only available to people who have received at least one day's pay from the Armed Forces (British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Marines, including Reserves), or are in the immediate family of someone who served.

If it hadn't have been for SSAFA I would have been in big trouble.
- Christian, Army Veteran

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Practical housing advice and support to veterans and their dependents. If it hadn't have been for SSAFA I would have been in big trouble. - Christian, Army Veteran SSAFA can offer impartial support around housing issues for those who have left the Armed Forces.

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Welcome to the Walkaway Scheme Request application.

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JSP 464 - TRI SERVICE HOUSING POLICY

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Tri-service accommodation regulations (TSARs) (JSP 464)

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JSP 464 is the definitive policy for the provision of service family accommodation, single living accommodation and the substitute equivalents.

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JOINT SERVICE HOUSING ADVICE OFFICE

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Civilian housing options; information for service personnel and their dependants.

This collection was withdrawn on

This publication is superseded by Information and guidance on civilian housing.

In line with the Government' Strategy for Our Veterans, the Joint Service Housing Advice Office (JSHAO) and its outputs were reviewed.

A revised set of these outputs will now be delivered by Defence Transition Services (DTS), part of Defence Business Services (DBS) and the JSHAO brand no longer exists.

This will bring efficiency to the co-ordination and delivery of the through-career transition information and support services, meeting the needs of the Service community now and in the future.

About JSHAO

The JSHAO is the MOD 's tri-service focal point to provide service personnel and their dependants with civilian housing information for those wishing to move to civilian accommodation at any time in their career, and for those during resettlement to assist with the transition to civilian life.

Video about the Joint Service Housing Advice Office (JSHAO).

Please read the Joint Service Housing transcript for more detailed information.

Email RC-Pers-JSHAO-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk

JSHAO telephone advice line: 07814 612120

Service family accommodation (SFA)

SFA, on behalf of MOD manages a comprehensive maintenance service; the allocation of properties; SFA furniture; conducting move in and move out appointments; and the provision of improvements. Contact details available on the Service Family Accomodation website.

For enquiries about loss of entitlement to SFA resulting from retirement, redundancy, discharge or estrangement, please contact the DIO Loss of Entitlement Team by telephoning 01904 418000 or 94510 8000. Alternatively, you can contact the by email: diosdaccn-loeteam@mod.gov.uk

Housing Matters magazine

JSHAO produces quarterly editions of the Housing Matters; Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter with a 10,000 copy distribution. The intention is to convey as much relevant information to the reader in as timely a fashion as possible. The magazine focuses on different regions within the UK, particularly in relation to Local Authority information, and contains information and articles designed to help you when you are considering your civilian housing options.

MOD Referral Scheme

The MOD Referral Scheme run by JSHAO was set up to assist those discharging from the armed forces who couldn't afford to get on the property ladder and were envisaging having to rent via their local authority. Through this scheme some housing associations support those who would otherwise have problems being prioritised high enough to have a realistic chance of being housed by local authorities.

Services Cotswold Centre

The Services Cotswold Centre (SCC) is a tri-Service facility that provides short term transit accommodation for service personnel, their spouses, civil partners and families. Find out more information about the service they can provide in the link below.

Further advice and information

Veterans' Gateway launched in April 2017 and should be the first point of contact for veterans seeking support.

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[Withdrawn] Joint Service Housing Advice Office (JSHAO)

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Civilian housing options; information for service personnel and their dependants.