For anyone with a first-time buyer in the family.
Two UK schemes both add a 25% government bonus on savings used to buy a first home:
- Lifetime ISA (LISA). Still open to new applicants 18-39.
- Help to Buy ISA. Closed to new accounts since Nov 2019, but existing holders can keep contributing until Nov 2029.
The trap most people hit: the LISA has a £450k property cap UK-wide. In London, the HTB ISA gets a £450k cap too. But outside London the HTB cap is £250k. And the LISA has a 25% withdrawal penalty on anything not used for a qualifying first home, age 60, or terminal illness.
You can hold both. But you can only use the bonus from one of them for any single home purchase.
Full breakdown of which one wins in which scenario:
trendingsheet.com/article/uk-lifetime-isa-help-to-buy-isa-first-time-buyer-2026