With the Help to Buy equity loan gone in England, buyers who would have used it now have several alternatives. This guide explains Help to Buy alternatives in 2026: the schemes and routes that can help with a small deposit or affordability, how each compares, and how to choose the right one for you.

Why alternatives are needed

The Help to Buy equity loan, which lent buyers a share of a new-build's price, has ended in England, as our guide to Help to Buy explains. Buyers who would have relied on it, particularly those with small deposits buying new-builds, now need other support. Fortunately, a range of schemes and routes can help in different ways, so the end of Help to Buy does not close off the path to ownership.

The Mortgage Guarantee Scheme

The Mortgage Guarantee Scheme lets you buy with a 5% deposit by supporting 95% mortgages, on new or existing homes up to £600,000, as our guide to the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme explains. For buyers whose main barrier is the deposit, this is a direct alternative, helping them buy with a small deposit much as Help to Buy did, though without an equity loan to repay later.

Deposit Unlock and new-build schemes

For new-builds specifically, Deposit Unlock lets you buy with a 5% deposit on participating developments, and some builders offer their own schemes such as rate reducers, as our guide to Deposit Unlock explains. These industry schemes target the same new-build buyers Help to Buy served. Checking what a particular development offers helps new-build buyers find low-deposit support in place of the old equity loan.

Shared Ownership

Shared ownership lets you buy a share of a home and rent the rest, lowering the upfront cost, as our guide to shared ownership explained explains. For those who cannot afford even a 5% deposit on a whole home, or who want to start smaller, shared ownership is a different kind of alternative to Help to Buy, getting you onto the ladder with a part-purchase rather than a low-deposit full purchase.

First Homes

In England, the First Homes scheme offers eligible first-time buyers a new-build at a discount of 30% to 50%, as our guide to First Homes explains. Where available, this reduces the price, deposit and mortgage needed, helping affordability in a different way from Help to Buy. Its patchy availability means it is not an option everywhere, but where offered it can be a valuable alternative for discounted new-build purchases.

Boosting your deposit

Beyond schemes that help you buy, you can boost your deposit using a Lifetime ISA's 25% bonus, or with family help such as a gifted deposit or guarantor arrangement, as our guide to new-build mortgages notes for purchase context. These routes increase your deposit rather than reducing the price, helping you qualify for better mortgages. Combining a boosted deposit with the right scheme can replicate much of what Help to Buy offered.

Choosing the right alternative

The best alternative depends on your circumstances: the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme or Deposit Unlock for a low deposit, Shared Ownership if you cannot buy a whole home, First Homes for a discount where available, and a Lifetime ISA or family help to build your deposit. Comparing these against your deposit, income and the type of home you want helps you find the most suitable replacement for Help to Buy.

How Help to Buy worked, for context

For context, Help to Buy was an equity loan: the government lent a share of a new-build's price, which you repaid later, reducing the mortgage you needed upfront, as our guide to Help to Buy explains. The alternatives work differently, some help with the deposit, some discount the price, some let you buy a share. Understanding that no single scheme exactly replicates the equity loan helps set expectations when comparing replacements.

A new-build buyer's options

If you specifically want a new-build, the closest alternatives are Deposit Unlock and builder schemes for a 5% deposit, the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, and First Homes for a discount where available. These target new-build buyers much as Help to Buy did. Checking what a particular development offers, alongside the government schemes, helps new-build buyers assemble the support they need in place of the old equity loan.

An existing-home buyer's options

If you are open to existing homes, not just new-builds, the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme and Shared Ownership both apply, broadening your choice beyond the new-builds Help to Buy was limited to. So in some ways the alternatives are more flexible than Help to Buy, which only covered new-builds. Considering existing homes as well as new ones can widen your options when using these schemes, as our guide to low-deposit options explains.

Combining schemes

Some alternatives can be combined, such as using a Lifetime ISA's bonus as the deposit for a purchase through the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme or Shared Ownership, stretching your support further. Others cannot be used together. Checking which combinations are allowed lets you make the most of the available help. Putting together a deposit boost and a buying scheme can replicate much of the assistance Help to Buy once provided.

Talking to a broker

Because the alternatives are varied and have detailed rules, a mortgage broker can be especially useful, explaining which schemes you qualify for and finding suitable mortgages. With Help to Buy gone, navigating the replacements is easier with guidance. Given the importance of getting your first purchase right, advice on the best combination of schemes and mortgages for your circumstances can save money and avoid missteps.

Check current availability

Because schemes change, with some ending, others launching, and rules and caps revised, it is essential to check the current availability and rules of any alternative before relying on it, as our guide to government schemes notes. Confirming the latest position through official sources or a broker ensures your plans reflect what is actually available when you buy, rather than schemes that may have changed since.

The path remains open

While the end of Help to Buy in England removed one route, the combination of low-deposit mortgages, new-build schemes, shared ownership, discounts and deposit boosts means the path to ownership remains open. The right mix depends on your circumstances, but for most buyers who would have used Help to Buy, a suitable alternative exists. Exploring the options, ideally with advice, helps you find the support that works for your purchase.

The specific equity loan may be gone, but with a little research, and ideally some advice, most buyers who would once have reached for Help to Buy can find a combination of today's schemes that gets them where they want to be.

In short

With Help to Buy ended in England, alternatives include the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme and Deposit Unlock for buying with a 5% deposit, Shared Ownership for buying a share, First Homes for a discounted new-build where available, and the Lifetime ISA or family help to boost your deposit. Each helps differently, so the right one depends on your deposit, income and the home you want. Compare them against your circumstances.

Where to get help and next steps

Read our guides to Help to Buy, the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, First Homes, and Deposit Unlock. This is general information, not mortgage or financial advice; scheme rules change, so check current details.