HMRC has confirmed that plans to extend the Help to Save scheme by 18 months, until April 2025 have been confirmed.
The Help to Save scheme is intended to help those on low incomes to boost their savings. Eligible users of the scheme can save between £1 and £50 every calendar month and receive a 50% government bonus. The 50% bonus is payable at the end of the second and fourth years and is based on how much account holders have saved. The bonus is paid directly into the account holder’s chosen bank account.
This means that account holders on low incomes can receive a maximum bonus of up to £1,200 on savings of £2,400 for 4 years from the date the account is opened. The scheme is open to most working people who receive Working Tax Credits or Universal Credit.
Almost 360,000 people have opened Help to Save accounts since the scheme was launched in September 2018 and an additional 3 million individuals could still benefit from the savings scheme as a result of the extension.
The government also published a consultation on the scheme that is looking at how the scheme can be reformed and simplified.