Am I Eligible for the HomeBuy Scheme

Most people we assist are first time buyers but we can also help you if you need to buy a property in a situation such as a relationship breakdown or where your household has outgrown existing arrangements.   
    
Eligibility can vary between individual schemes and full details will be provided upon application.   
    
The Government defined priorities for assistance under HomeBuy are:

  • Social tenants
  • Those on the housing waiting list
  • Public sector key workers as defined under ‘Key Worker Living’ criterion in the South East
  • Other priority groups recommended by Regional Housing Boards
  • All first time buyers with income under £60,000 and cannot afford to buy a home.

For key workers, the following groups are eligible:   

  • NHS - All clinical staff employed by the NHS except doctors and dentists.
  • Education - Qualified teachers in LEA schools and sixth form colleges, lecturers in FE colleges, children’s social workers and qualified nursery nurses in LEA nursery schools only.
  • Police - Police officers and community support officers including those working for the British Transport Police or the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) in certain areas. Some front line civilian police roles are also eligible – this varies by force
  • Prison Service - Prison officers and related grades, operational support grades, nursing staff, industrials and instructional officers working at specified locations.
  • Probation Service - Probation officers, senior probation officers, probation service officers and other operational staff (except Assistant Chief Officers) who work directly with offenders. Trainee probation officers are eligible for discounted rent properties only.
  • Local Authority - Local authority employed clinical staff, adult social workers, occupational therapists, educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, rehabilitation officers for the visually impaired and qualified nursery nurses. Local authority planners employed by the Local Planning Authority delivering statutory planning services.

Connexions Personal Advisors provided that they are employed by a local authority or a Connexions Partnership. Connexions Personal Advisors employed by private or voluntary sector organisations are not eligible.

  • Fire Fighters - Uniformed fire and rescue staff below principal level.
  • MOD posts - Regular service personnel (i.e. regular service personnel, including
  •    - Military Provost Guard Service, in the Navy, Army and Air Force)
  •    - Clinical staff (with the exception of doctors and dentists)
  •    - MoD Police Officers
  •    - Uniformed staff in the Defence Fire Service

Please note: MOD staff are eligible for New Build HomeBuy and Discounted Rent only.

In addition, the following group will qualify for intermediate rent schemes only:
Full Time Reserve Service (Full Commitment)

  • Environmental Health Officers/Practitioners - Qualified Environmental Health Officers/Practitioners who work in a local authority, government agency, NHS or other public sector agency. AND who hold either an EHRB Certificate of Registration or an EHRB Diploma in Environmental Health.
  • Traffic Officer staff of the Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service - All applicants must be in one of the following safety critical roles:
  • Supervisor (on road and off road)
  • Traffic Officer
  • RCC Operator

 To Register/Apply Click here.

Article Date: 01/04/2008