Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility for all affordable housing schemes is subject to funding. Priority will vary from each scheme depending on location and funding rules. To find out if you are eligible refer to the following criteria:
Living in a London Borough
If you are living in a London borough find out more about eligibility through FIRST STEPS.
Living in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey or Sussex
If you are in living in one of these following regions - Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey or Sussex find out more about eligibility through HomeBuy.
Am I eligible?
If your household income is less than £60, 000, you could
be eligible for a home.
Who gets priority?
The huge demand for properties means applicants must be prioritised. Households will be prioritised in a number of ways. Priority for homes is given in the following order:
- Existing council and housing association tenants and serving
military personnel
- Local priorities agreed by Local Authorities or via planning conditions these can vary by Local Authority depending on local needs, but will be explained in the property details of homes found on this site.
As homes are advertised, if no priority household succeeds in securing it, the home will be made available to all other applicants who fit all other criteria to apply to buy or rent a home.
You can check eligibility criteria and apply online at FIRST STEPS.
Income Eligibility
For all government funded homes available, total household income should be less than £60,000 per year and you must be able to demonstrate that you can afford to sustain the costs involved in Buy and Rent products.
Only in exceptional circumstances will applications from households with an annual income of above £60,000 be considered.
Savings
An applicant's savings and assets, access to those savings and assets and any income generated by them will be taken into account when assessing the applicants financial eligibility for low cost home ownership. Any lump sums paid to eligible members of the armed forces as a result of illness or injury is disregarded at financial assessment - this only applies to one off lump sum payments and not to payments such as pensions which are classed as income.
You must have savings or access to at least £4000 to cover the costs of buying a home - this amount is a guideline figure and will vary depending on the product you buy through. In addition to this amount your mortgage lender is likely to require a minimum 5-10% deposit, depending on the scheme you buy through. You should also have a good credit history.
Home Owners
Owner occupiers, including those who have bought with shared ownership or a home ownership product designed for key workers, are not eligible for assistance through government funded products. If a potential home buyer who owns a property wishes to buy or rent a home through FIRST STEPS, they must either demonstrate that they are in housing need (such as a family who have outgrown their current home and cannot afford a suitably sized home without assistance), have Local Authority support to buy with FIRST STEPS or have sold their property prior to applying.
You must be a British or EU/EEA citizen or have indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Customers without indefinite leave to remain who are interested in buying a home, must be able to demonstrate that they are able to raise a mortgage with an acceptable lender and that they can afford to sustain home ownership in the longer term. This will normally require a detailed individual assessment.
