In a surprise weekend announcement, the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has revealed new plans for £150 million of funding to make it easier and more affordable for people to build their own homes. 

The new “Help to Build” low deposit mortgage scheme will help self and custom home building become a realistic option to get onto the housing ladder. The new scheme is based on the existing “Help to Buy” scheme and will enable people to custom build a new home with just a 5% deposit backed by a government equity loan. 

These changes are expected to see a huge growth in self and custom home builds. This could see some 30-40,000 new homes a year being built in this sector.

The government also announced £2.1 million in funding to help communities have a greater say in how their local area is developed. The fund will boost neighbourhood planning by giving additional support to local authorities in under-represented areas.

There have been a significant number of measures introduced to help those experiencing financial difficulties because of coronavirus. Throughout the course of the pandemic, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has sought to ensure that lenders provide tailored support to mortgage borrowers who continue to face payment difficulties due to the crisis. 

Since 1 April 2021, suspension on blanket property repossessions where homeowners are significantly in arrears was ended. This change is subject to any government restrictions on repossessions, but lenders may now be able to take steps to enforce a possession order and repossess homes. This should only be done as a last resort and a lender shouldn’t start repossession action unless all reasonable attempts to resolve the position have failed. Prior to 1 April 2021, lenders could only repossess homes with the agreement of the homeowner or if there were other exceptional circumstances. 

Lenders have offered options to homeowners such as:

• making no payments for a temporary period
• making reduced payments for a temporary period
• changing the mortgage term to make payments more affordable

The deadline for applying for many of these assistance options ended on 31 March 2021. However, the FCA's updated guidance states that since 1 April 2021, if you are newly affected by coronavirus (or if it starts affecting you again) your lender should provide support tailored to your circumstances, this may include a payment holiday if that is appropriate.

Even the unseasonably cold weather does not seem to have stopped people in England getting their first taste of normality for many months as many restrictions were lifted on 12th April 2021.

The full list of changes that came into effect in England from 12 April 2021 are listed on GOV.UK as follows:

• non-essential retail can reopen
• personal care services such as hairdressers and nail salons can reopen, including those provided from a mobile setting
• public buildings such as libraries and community centres can reopen
• outdoor hospitality venues can reopen, with table service only
• most outdoor attractions including zoos, theme parks, and drive-in performances (such as cinemas and concerts) can reopen
• some smaller outdoor events such as fetes, literary fairs, and fairgrounds can take place
• indoor leisure and sports facilities can reopen for individual exercise, or exercise with your household or support bubble
• all childcare and supervised activities are allowed indoors (as well as outdoors) for all children. Parent and child groups can take place indoors (as well as outdoors) for up to 15 people (children under 5 will not be counted in this number)
• weddings, civil partnership ceremonies, wakes and other commemorative events can take place for up to 15 people (anyone working is not included in this limit), including in indoor venues that are permitted to open or where an exemption applies. Wedding receptions can also take place for up to 15 people, but must take place outdoors, not including private gardens
• self-contained accommodation can stay open for overnight stays in England with your household or support bubble
• care home residents will be able to nominate two named individuals for regular indoor visits (following a rapid lateral flow test)
• you should continue to work from home if you can and minimise the amount that you travel where possible

The next major batch of changes are not expected to take place in England before 17 May and will include the opening of more indoor entertainment attractions, overnight hotel stays, increased numbers allowed at life events and the possibility of more international travel. 

Regional variations can be viewed on regional government websites.

One of the measures announced as part of the March 2021 Budget was the introduction of a new mortgage guarantee scheme to help home buyers purchase a property. The new scheme is designed for prospective home buyers who only have a small deposit and are therefore unable to qualify for a mortgage. Under the new scheme, lenders will be able to offer new 91-95% mortgage products.

The new scheme will be open to first time buyers and home movers across the UK. Home buyers will be able to purchase properties valued at up to £600,000 and both new-build and existing properties are eligible. The scheme will initially run from April 2021 to 31 December 2022. The government has confirmed that the end date of the scheme will be reviewed and may be extended.

The government will provide lenders with the option to purchase a guarantee on the top slice of the mortgage (over 80%). Lenders will also take a 5% share of net losses above this 80% threshold. This will help to ensure that lenders are not incentivised to originate poor quality loans. Lenders will also need to pay the government a commercial fee for each mortgage in the scheme. The mortgage guarantee will be valid for up to seven years after the mortgage is originated.

There will be a cap on the size of the government’s contingent liability under the scheme of £3.9 billion although this is not expected to impinge on delivery of the scheme. The scheme is similar to a previous Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme that closed to new applicants on 31 December 2016.

In a recent HM Treasury press release it has been confirmed that the government will publish a number of tax-related consultations and calls for evidence at the end of March. These consultations would usually be published on Budget day but instead will be published on 23 March. This will allow more time for these consultations to be examined.

None of the announcements will require legislation in the next Finance Bill or have an impact on the government’s finances. A number of these consultations relate to the government’s 10-year tax administration strategy, titled ‘Building a trusted, modern tax administration system’.

Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jesse Norman said:

'We are making these announcements separately to the Budget, but still all on a single day, in order to give a range of important but less high profile measures greater visibility among Members of Parliament, tax professionals and other stakeholders, and greater scope for scrutiny by them.'

Announcements which have fiscal implications need to be captured in the OBR’s economic and fiscal outlook, and announcements of measures to be legislated in the Finance Bill, will be made on Budget day in the normal way.