Help to buy ISA

[Singlelady]

Hi Guys
I'm starting to save to buy a house and I am going to open a help to buy ISA but I am slightly confused about one aspect.

I read that 'You cannot put the cash bonus towards your deposit: the all-important tax-free bonus is only paid at the point of completion.'

I don't understand what this means. So my deposit is the money I raise myself. but then what is the bonus for?

Sorry if I'm being thick. I'm really new to all this

It goes towards the mortgage balance.

Look at getting a lifetime isa instead - skiptons building society offer a cash isa.

A lifetime isa has a higher saving limit (£4K a year) and the 25% bonus can be used for the initial deposit. The only downside is that the account has to be open a year before the bonus is available and there's a penalty for withdrawing for anything other then a house or pension.

Yup. It's fucking outrageous.

our solicitor took the bonus from the fees we paid. I'm not quite sure this is how it was supposed to be done though. We were the first time she'd used the htb isa.

Not sure how it can be considered outrageous
That's rules - and there's nothing outrageous about free money