Home Ownership for people with long term disabilities

There are a number of options for people with disabilities who also rely on benefits for their income can afford to buy a Shared Ownership home.

HOLD: Home Ownership for people with long‑term disabilities is a Government-backed shared ownership scheme for individuals with a long-term disability, enabling them to buy a share (10 to 75%) in a home from the open market or housing association developments.

Eligibility criteria:

• you must have a long-term disability as defined under the Equality Act 2010
• your annual household income must be less or equal to £80,000 (less or equal to £90,000 in London)
• if you're unable to find a suitable shared ownership or adapted home
• you must also be on of the following:
  • a first-time buyer
  • former homeowner
  • forming new household
  • existing shared owner wishing to move
  • homeowner needing to move due to adaptation needs

Home requirements:

• can be new-build or second-hand, permanently habitable
• leaseholds must have at least 990 years left (or 125 if no alternative)
• must meet any housing association-specific adaptation standards

Buying process

1. Housing provider purchases home on open market
2. You buy a share (10 to 75%) - via mortgage or savings - with a typical deposit of 5 to 10% of that share
3. You pay subsidised rent on the remaining share
4. You can staircase (buy more equity) later

Financial support

• Mortgages are interest-only and may be covered by Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), a government loan that must be repaid when selling
• Additional financial aid may be available for adaptations

Specialist lenders and associations

• Providers and housing associations (for example, Advance, Guinness Homes) support  HOLD purchases with tailored mortgages

For more information please visit Home Ownership for people with a long-term disability (HOLD) - GOV.UK

MySafeHome

A specialist mortgage broker that facilitates HOLD purchases for people receiving PIP or high/middle-rate  DLA , active in England and Wales.

Eligibility requirements:

• you are aged 18 years or older with clean credit and no major debts
• you are receiving high/middle-rate Care  DLA or PIP , plus  ESA support group or UC LCWRA
• you must have (or be arranging) appropriate care/support plans
• you have mental capacity or legal authority via Court of Protection/Lasting Power of Attorney
• you must afford £17,000 or more upfront costs (deposit plus fees) and contribute around £30 perweek to household costs
• permits some employment (post April 2023 changes)

Purchase model

• You take an interest-only mortgage on your share (typically 25 to 75%)
• Housing association buys the remainder and charges rent (can be supported via Housing Benefit)
• Mortgage interest paid via  SMI (loan repayable from equity when sold)

Support and expertise

• MySafeHome has helped over 1,600 people become homeowners
• Provides end-to-end guidance, including navigating mortgage options and liaising with housing providers

For more information, visit MySafeHome - Turning Hopes into Homes.

Before committing to buy a shared ownership property, you should ensure you take independent legal and financial advice.