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National Audit Office highlights rewards and risks of Help to Buy scheme

By 2019-06-27T23:00:00

Help to Buy flats for sale

Source: Shutterstock/Duncan Andison

Report finds scheme has boosted housebuilding but warns taxpayer could ‘lose out’ if market slumps.

These are the findings of a report by the National Audit Office (NAO), which is the most in-depth analysis of the scheme to date.

Unlike an earlier NAO report on Help to Buy in 2014, the latest study has the benefit of several years of data to draw on.

As the government’s flagship housebuilding policy, the scheme – which, according to the report, supported the sale of 38% of all new-build properties between its launch in April 2013 and September 2018 – has been the subject of both high praise and damning criticism.

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