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Help to Buy: ISA
If you have a Help to Buy: ISA with another provider, you can transfer it to us. Carry on saving for your government bonus with our Help to Buy: ISA.
You can no longer apply for a Help to Buy: ISA
If you have a Help to Buy: ISA with another provider, you can transfer it to our Help to Buy: ISA over the phone.
As the Government closed the Help to Buy: ISA on 30 November 2019, we can no longer accept new applications.
Although closed to new applications, the Government Bonus can still be claimed up to November 2030.
Who this account is for
- If you already have a Help to Buy: ISA with another provider, you can transfer it to us over the phone.
- If you don't already have a Help to Buy: ISA, you can no longer open one. The Government removed the ISA on 30 November 2019.
- The ISA is for first time buyers, saving to buy a house up to the value of £250,000 outside London or £450,000 inside London.
The benefits
- You will earn 2.60% AER/tax free variable interest on any savings from £1 to £12,000. Then 1.30% AER/tax free on any excess above £12,000.
- You could get a bonus of up to £3,000 from the Government. The bonus would be the same as 25% of your closing balance if it is £1,600 or more.
- This bonus would help you buy your first home. However it can't be used towards your deposit or any costs incurred before completion.
How it works
- Call us to transfer your Help to Buy: ISA to a Lloyds Bank Help to Buy: ISA. All the money will be moved over to your new account.
- You can continue saving up to £200 per month by standing order. This needs to be with us by the 25th of the month.
- When you’re ready to buy your first home, close your Help to Buy: ISA in branch in one transaction. You can then claim the bonus with your conveyancer. If you can't get to a branch, you can also close your account with a written request. If you withdraw the money without closing the account, you cannot claim any bonus on the amount taken out.
Summary box for the Help to Buy: ISA
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You will earn 2.60% AER/tax free variable interest on any savings from £1 to £12,000. Then 1.15% AER/tax free on any excess above £12,000.
Interest is paid after each year.
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Yes.
As this account pays a variable rate of interest it can change over time. We’ll always let you know of any planned changes to the rate. Our terms and conditions (PDF, 109KB) explain when and how we do this. For example we might review the interest rate if the Bank of England base rate changes. -
For example, if your balance is £1,000.00 when you transfer the account to us, after 12 months you will have a balance of £2,241.60 after interest is paid.
Or, if your balance is £13,000.00 when you transfer the account to us, after 12 months you will have a balance of £14,530.40 after interest is paid.
This assumes:
- You don’t withdraw any money or interest.
- The interest rate stays the same.
- You deposit £100 in the middle of each month.
If you have more than £12,000 in your account, you’ll get two different interest rates on your balance. The higher rate applies to everything up to £12,000 and the lower rate to any excess above £12,000.
Also, if your balance is £1,600 or more when you close the account, you could get a 25% bonus on your final balance. This is paid by the UK Government if you buy a house up to the value of £250,000 outside London or £450,000 inside London. The minimum bonus of £400 is payable on closing balances of £1,600. The maximum bonus of £3,000 is paid on closing balances of £12,000 or more.
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Transferring into our Help to Buy: ISA
New applications for this ISA are no longer accepted. If you already have a Help to Buy: ISA with another provider, you can transfer it to us over the phone. All the money will be moved over to your new account.
Apart from the Help to Buy: ISA you are transferring from, you must not have saved into another cash ISA this tax year with Lloyds Bank. Read our guide to ISAs for more information.
The ISA is for first time buyers who are:
- 18 or over and have a national insurance number
- resident in UK for tax purposes
- saving to buy a house up to the value of £250,000 outside London or £450,000 inside London.
Managing this account
You can manage the account online, by phone and in branch.
How much you can save
There are limits on how much you can save in a Help to Buy: ISA.
The Help to Buy: ISA is a cash ISA and you can only save into one cash ISA in a tax year with Lloyds Bank. Read our guide to ISAs for more information.
ISAs have an annual limit of £20,000 this tax year. This means you can’t pay more than this limit into any combination of permitted ISAs within the same tax year.
The Help to Buy: ISA allowance is lower than the overall £20,000 ISA allowance as you can only pay in up to £200 in any calendar month. This must be paid by standing order and received by the 25th of the month. If you want to reach the full ISA limit in a tax year, you'll have to invest any other new contributions into other permitted ISAs.
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Yes.
You can make unlimited withdrawals, but you won’t be able to claim the Government bonus on the funds you withdraw.You can close your account at any time by visiting your local branch. If you choose to close the account and move the money to a non-ISA account, your savings will lose their tax-free status. The tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change in the future.
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How to start the claim for your bonus
To start the claim for your bonus, you need to:
- Close your account in one transaction in branch when you're ready to purchase your first UK property. The property should be up to the value of £250,000 outside London and £450,000 inside London. Remember you can't use the bonus to cover any costs you incur before completion or to use as the deposit due at exchange of contracts.
- Pass your Help to Buy: ISA closing documents onto your conveyancer. They will claim the bonus for you. They must be approved as an eligible conveyancer under the Help to Buy: ISA scheme.
Savings terms explained
Tax free means you will not pay income tax on your interest.
AER stands for Annual Equivalent Rate. Whenever you see an advert for a savings account which shows an interest rate, you will see the AER. This means you can use the AER to compare accounts. It shows what the interest rate would be if your interest was paid and compounded once each year.
For more definitions, view our glossary.
Help to Buy: ISA administrator
The Help to Buy: ISA scheme administrator is National Savings and Investments (NS&I). NS&I works with HM Treasury. The administrator was UKAR (UK Asset Resolution Limited) until 31st March 2019.
Transfer to our Help to Buy: ISA
You can transfer to our Help to Buy: ISA if you are transferring from a Help to Buy: ISA with another provider.
If you do not already have a Help to Buy: ISA, you will not be able to open one.
Please read the summary box and the terms and conditions (PDF, 109KB) before you start.
Call us to transfer your Help to Buy: ISA
Lines are open 8am to 6pm, 7 days a week. Closed on Bank Holidays.
Not all Telephone Banking services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you need to call us from abroad, you can call us on +44 0173 334 7007.
Need more information?
You can find out more about this ISA on the Government's website.
To learn more about how ISAs work, you can read our guide to ISAs.
Handy savings links
Financial Services Compensation Scheme
Eligible deposits held with us are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), the UK’s deposit guarantee scheme.
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