The government’s relaunch version of the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme called Freedom to Buy has been confirmed.
The scheme, which is launching immediately, is designed to boost the availability of mortgages with a 5% deposit, by insuring lenders against a proportion of any potential losses.
The announcement was made as part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Mansion House speech today.
Peter Stimson, director of mortgages at lender MPowered Mortgages, said: “Kudos to the Chancellor for delivering on an election pledge. The rebranded Mortgage Guarantee Scheme is a good idea. The trouble is it’s a year too late, and is missing one vital detail – the cost.
“The mortgage market has changed a lot since Rachel Reeves swept into 11 Downing Street last July.
“The Base Rate has come down by a full percentage point and hundreds of 95% LTV mortgage products are now available.
“Every lender who wanted to offer a 95% loan is probably already doing so. The Chancellor’s announcement is unlikely to make dozens more suddenly follow suit – as the price of entry is unknown and will vary each year.
“The Freedom to Buy scheme shuffles some of the risk burden between lenders and the Government, but don’t expect it to make mortgages cheaper for borrowers.
“Much like the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme it replaces, the capital offered to mortgage lenders is likely to be at market rate rather than discounted.”
The Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee Scheme was first launched in 2013 after lenders became reluctant to lend to those with a small deposit after the global financial crisis. Its successor, the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme ran from 2021 until the end of June this year.
The permanent successor should ensure mortgages with a 5% deposit are available even in times of economic turmoil.