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What is Forces Help to Buy
Make Your Forces Help to Buy Entitlement Work for Your Mortgage
Forces Help to Buy is an interest free Ministry of Defence scheme that can help eligible Regular Armed Forces personnel buy a home. You may be able to borrow up to 50% of your annual salary, capped at £25,000, to support your property purchase, including towards a deposit and certain buying costs. The advance is repaid through your Armed Forces salary and must be considered alongside your mortgage affordability. Mortgage lenders have different rules for Forces Help to Buy, military income, deposits and repayments, so choosing a lender that fits your circumstances is important. Specialist mortgage advice can help you coordinate your FHTB application, mortgage and property purchase from the outset.
Using Forces Help to Buy With a Mortgage
Forces Help to Buy can make buying a home more achievable, but the FHTB advance is only one part of your overall mortgage application.
Getting Forces Help to Buy approved does not automatically mean you will qualify for the mortgage you need.
Your mortgage lender will still assess your income, existing commitments, credit history, deposit and property. They may also take your monthly Forces Help to Buy repayment into account when deciding how much you can afford to borrow.
35,000+
Over 35,000 Forces Help to Buy payments have been made since the scheme launched in April 2014.95%+
of Forces Help to Buy payments had already resulted in a property purchase or extension by 31 March 2026.Who is eligible for Forces Help to Buy?
Current MOD policy states that most UK Regular Service personnel can apply once they have:
- completed 12 months of Service from enlistment
- completed Phase 1 training
- more than six months remaining before termination from the Services
- not given notice or applied for early termination, except in specified circumstances
- appropriate Commanding Officer approval
- met the required medical criteria
- no outstanding Crown Debt preventing an advance.
Reservists and Military Provost Guard Service personnel are not currently eligible for a standard FHTB advance. There can be exceptional circumstances within the detailed MOD rules.
The official JSP 464 Volume 1 is the definitive policy document, so eligibility should always be checked against the latest version before relying on a Forces Help to Buy advance.
Forces Help to Buy: Quick Overview
- Up to £25,000: borrow up to 50% of eligible annual salary, subject to the scheme maximum.
- Interest-free: FHTB is an advance of salary rather than a conventional mortgage or government equity loan.
- Regular Service personnel: current rules generally require at least 12 months’ service, completion of Phase 1 training and more than six months remaining in Service.
- Use it towards your purchase: it can contribute towards the property purchase, deposit and eligible buying costs.
- Repay through your pay: repayment is normally collected directly from salary over a period of up to 10 years.
- Allow enough time: current MOD policy requires applications to reach the FHTB section at least six weeks before expected completion.
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Is Forces Help to Buy still available in 2026?
Yes. Forces Help to Buy is still available and it is no longer a temporary pilot scheme. The Ministry of Defence made Forces Help to Buy an enduring policy from 1 January 2023, meaning there is currently no scheduled scheme end date.
That matters because a lot of older Forces Help to Buy information online still refers to previous extension dates or suggests the scheme has finished, and it definitely hasn’t.
The latest MOD Forces Help to Buy statistics, published in August 2026, show that the scheme remains actively used. During 2025/26 there were 3,978 first-stage applications and 2,483 payments, with payments increasing by 7% compared with the previous financial year.
Different Mortgage Lender Criteria
It’s really important to understand your options, get advice and approach the right lender for your needs. Mortgage Lenders differ from one to the other, and they have different criteria for:
- Forces Help to Buy deposits
- Armed Forces salaries and allowances
- monthly FHTB repayments
- overseas postings
- BFPO addresses
- time remaining in Service
- credit history and existing commitments
At The Mortgage Broker, you can compare options from 130+ lenders and more than 25,000 mortgage products with an experienced, CeMAP-qualified mortgage adviser who understands the practical challenges that can come with an Armed Forces mortgage.
Your adviser can look at your mortgage, deposit and Forces Help to Buy advance together, helping you understand what is affordable, which lenders may be suitable and what needs to happen next.
Get your mortgage plans in place before you apply: If you are considering Forces Help to Buy, you do not need to work everything out yourself. Start with a free appointment and find out where you stand before committing to a property.
Book a Free AppointmentYour home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Stat Source: Ministry of Defence, Forces Help to Buy Statistics 2025 to 2026, published 6 August 2026.
How does the Forces Help to Buy mortgage process work?
A well managed Forces Help to Buy purchase needs the MOD, mortgage lender and conveyancer working to compatible timescales. The Mortgage Broker can give you peace of mind and remove the stress from this process for you.
1. Check Mortgage Position
Quickly understand roughly how much mortgage borrowing is affordable and which lenders are comfortable with your Armed Forces circumstances and the costs of the mortgage.
2. Get a Mortgage in Principle
A Mortgage in Principle can help establish your likely mortgage position before you make an offer. At The Mortgage Broker, you can search mortgage options from 130+ lenders rather than relying on the criteria of a single bank.
3. Apply for Forces Help to Buy through JPA
Apply through the JPA online self-service system. Current MOD policy requires the FHTB Section to receive the application at least six weeks before the expected completion date.
4. Confirm to lender and solicitor you are using FHTB
We will do this early. This allows the deposit, mortgage and legal process to be structured correctly from the beginning.
5. Complete the mortgage application
Your mortgage lender will undertake its normal affordability, credit, income and property checks.
6. Your solicitor coordinates the FHTB payment
Once entitlement has been established, your solicitor will send you a Promissory Note. This must be signed and returned before the FHTB advance can be paid.
Under current policy, legal representatives should request the advance at least 10 working days before it is required.
7. Complete and start repaying the advance
Once the purchase completes, the FHTB advance is recovered through your Armed Forces pay according to the applicable repayment schedule.
How long does Forces Help to Buy take?
The safest approach is to work backwards from completion and allow at least six weeks for the FHTB application process. That does not mean every application takes exactly six weeks but this is The MOD requirement to make sure there is enough time for the application, approvals and payment arrangements to be completed.
Do not leave FHTB until your solicitor is asking for the deposit. Forces Help to Buy works much better when your mortgage adviser and conveyancer know about it from the beginning.
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What is the Forces Help to Buy scheme?
Forces Help to Buy is a Ministry of Defence scheme designed to help eligible members of the Armed Forces become homeowners despite the additional challenges that can come with a mobile military career. It is not the old civilian Help to Buy equity loan scheme.
Instead, FHTB is an interest-free advance of your Armed Forces salary. It can be used when buying your first home and in certain circumstances when moving home because of an assignment or changed family circumstances. Current MOD rules also allow limited uses for self-builds and extensions where the relevant criteria are met.
The home must normally be intended for occupation by you or your immediate family. FHTB is not designed to fund the purchase of a buy-to-let investment or second home.
the whole team have been absolutely incredible and got a mortgage and an help to buy in record time! Simply outstanding service. Thank you.
How much can you get through Forces Help to Buy?
The maximum Forces Help to Buy advance is generally the lower of:
- 50% of your eligible gross basic pay, including qualifying Recruitment and Retention Pay
- £25,000
- the amount actually required under the scheme’s property purchase calculation.
Allowances are excluded from the FHTB salary calculation itself. For example, if the relevant salary were £30,000, 50% would be £15,000. If it were £55,000, 50% would exceed £25,000, so the overall FHTB cap would apply.
These examples only illustrate the scheme calculation. Your actual entitlement is determined by the MOD and does not establish how much you can borrow on a mortgage.
Does Forces Help to Buy increase how much mortgage you can borrow?
Forces Help to Buy does not automatically increase the mortgage a lender will offer. It may reduce the mortgage required and improve the loan-to-value position, but lenders may also treat the monthly FHTB repayment as a financial commitment. The effect on affordability therefore depends on the lender and the applicant’s wider circumstances.
Does Forces Help to Buy count as your mortgage deposit?
It can, but lender rules are not identical as mentioned previously. This is one of the most important parts of a Forces Help to Buy mortgage application.
For example, Halifax currently states (August 2026) that an FHTB advance can be accepted as a deposit on a main residence, with the repayment recorded as a financial commitment. Nationwide also supports FHTB applications, but its published guidance shows that FHTB does not necessarily satisfy every minimum deposit requirement under every mortgage scheme.
So there is no sensible answer to: “Which is the best Forces Help to Buy mortgage lender?” without first knowing your own deposit, salary, FHTB amount, credit file, property, posting circumstances and affordability.
A lender accepting FHTB is only the starting point. Its wider lending criteria still need to fit you.
Can Army, Royal Navy and RAF personnel use Forces Help to Buy?
Yes, eligible Regular personnel across the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force can potentially use FHTB.
“Army Help to Buy”, “military Help to Buy” and “Armed Forces Help to Buy” are common search terms, but they are generally referring to the same Ministry of Defence Forces Help to Buy scheme.
Your individual eligibility still needs to satisfy the MOD requirements.
How do you repay Forces Help to Buy?
For personnel with sufficient Service remaining, repayments are generally recovered from pay at 10% of the original FHTB advance per year, spread across a maximum 10-year period.
The precise repayment arrangements can differ depending upon how long you have remaining in Service. Current JSP 464 contains different provisions for personnel with more than 10.5 years, between 10 and 10.5 years, and less than 10 years remaining.
This monthly deduction matters to your mortgage application because lenders may include it within their affordability assessment.
What happens to Forces Help to Buy if you leave the Armed Forces?
You remain responsible for the outstanding advance.
Where an FHTB advance has not been fully repaid when you leave, the MOD rules provide for recovery of the remaining balance, which can include recovery through final salary or qualifying terminal benefits depending on your circumstances.
If you are considering leaving the Services, it makes sense to understand the remaining FHTB balance before making mortgage or career decisions.
An important FHTB detail many guides miss!
Interest free does not necessarily mean there can never be a tax consequence.
JSP 464 explains that an advance of pay can be treated by HMRC as a beneficial loan. Where the combined outstanding amount of FHTB and other qualifying beneficial loans exceeds £10,000 during the tax year, there can potentially be an income tax liability based on the notional interest benefit.
Where applicable, this is normally dealt with through PAYE.
This does not mean you pay mortgage-style interest on your FHTB advance. It is a separate tax consideration.
Do your existing military benefits fully protect your mortgage?
Military personal accident cover and optional life or critical illness cover are not automatically designed around your mortgage or household needs. It is important to check the events and illnesses covered, the benefit amount, exclusions and whether any shortfall would leave your mortgage or family financially exposed.
Book a Free Appointment with Our Protection Specialist, or read more about Protection here.
Why use a mortgage broker with Forces Help to Buy?
The difficult part of FHTB is rarely understanding that you can potentially receive an interest-free advance, but the difficulty is bringing it all together and timing it properly. Also, assessing the right mortgage lender for the specific criteria that suits your circumstances.
The MOD has the Forces Help to Buy rules, whilst the mortgage lender has the criteria and your solicitor needs the money at the correct point. Your military income may include allowances another lender assesses differently and you may have been posted overseas or have a BFPO address.
It’s important to combine this properly, and of course, make sure it is suitable, sustainable and affordable for your circumstances.
At The Mortgage Broker, your adviser can:
- compare mortgage criteria across 130+ lenders and 25,000+ products
- identify lenders comfortable with Forces Help to Buy
- assess basic salary and relevant additional income correctly
- account for your FHTB repayment when checking affordability
- help with BFPO and overseas-posting mortgage applications
- coordinate the mortgage with the FHTB and legal process
- provide a clear Mortgage in Principle before you commit to a property
- manage the mortgage application through to formal offer.
You also have the reassurance of a UK mortgage broker with 2,500+ five-star Trustpilot reviews, CeMAP-qualified advisers and FCA-regulated mortgage advice.
There is no upfront mortgage broker fee. Any applicable broker fee is explained transparently and is payable when your formal mortgage offer has been secured.
Book a Free AppointmentYour next steps
Thinking about using Forces Help to Buy?
You do not need to choose a mortgage lender before understanding your options.
Start by checking your mortgage affordability, deposit and FHTB position together. Your adviser can then compare lenders that understand Armed Forces applications and explain your next steps clearly.
Free initial appointment. No pressure. Clear mortgage advice.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Forces Help to Buy information last reviewed August 2026. MOD policies and individual mortgage lender criteria can change. The current version of JSP 464 and the official Ministry of Defence Forces Help to Buy guidance should always take precedence.