Help to Buy ISA Bonus Deadline 2030: What Happens to Your Money

What the Help to Buy ISA is, and isn't

The Help to Buy ISA was launched by HM Treasury in December 2015 and was a Cash ISA wrapped in a government bonus scheme for first-time buyers. Each pound saved into the account attracted a 25% government bonus when used towards a first-home purchase — up to a £3,000 cap.

The scheme closed to new applicants on 30 November 2019. Existing accounts can continue receiving contributions for 10 years (until 30 November 2029), and the bonus can be claimed up to 12 months after that — meaning the absolute final claim date is 1 December 2030.

If you opened a HTB ISA before the November 2019 cut-off, you have two questions to answer now:

1. Should you keep contributing the maximum £200/month?
2. Should you transfer to a Lifetime ISA?

We'll work through both below.

How the bonus works

The bonus is a 25% top-up on your Help to Buy ISA balance at the point of claim, with a hard cap at £3,000:

You can keep saving above £12,000, but the bonus does not grow beyond £3,000. Many savers hit the cap and let the rest of their first-home pot sit in a higher-interest Cash ISA or Stocks & Shares ISA — see our Cash ISA vs Stocks & Shares ISA comparison.

Contribution limits

• Opening deposit: up to £1,200 in the first month.
• Subsequent months: up to £200/month.
• Tax year cap: the £20,000 overall ISA limit still applies — the HTB ISA counts against it.

At maximum contributions, the time to fill a HTB ISA:

• £1,200 opening + £200/month × 54 months = £12,000 reached in about 4 years 7 months.
• After that point, paying in more does not change the bonus but does earn interest (which is also bonus-eligible up to the cap).

The 1 December 2030 deadline in detail

There are three relevant dates:

The bonus is claimed by your conveyancer or solicitor on the day of completion. They request a closing statement from your HTB ISA provider, the bonus is paid to them by the scheme administrator, and the funds are applied against the purchase price.

If you have not completed a first-home purchase by 1 December 2030, the bonus is forfeit. You keep your savings and interest, but the 25% top-up is gone. The HTB ISA itself converts into a regular Cash ISA.

What if I buy in late 2030?

Cutting it fine is risky. Conveyancers have reported HTB ISA bonus claims taking 5–10 working days to process in busy periods. If completion is delayed for any reason (chain collapse, lender issue, search delays), you may miss the window. The practical deadline for a worry-free claim is closer to mid-November 2030.

Worked example — Maria, opened HTB ISA 2018

Maria opened a Halifax HTB ISA on 1 March 2018 with a £1,200 opening deposit and has contributed the maximum £200/month since.

• Months of contributions to 1 March 2026: 96.
• Total deposits: £1,200 + (95 × £200) = £20,200.
• Interest at ~3% AER (variable): roughly £2,100 cumulative.
• Balance March 2026: about £22,300.

Maria already has well above the £12,000 cap for the bonus. She buys her first home in Manchester for £210,000 in March 2027.

• HTB ISA balance at completion: ~£23,800.
• Bonus claimed: £3,000 (capped).
• Net contribution to her deposit: £23,800 (savings) + £3,000 (bonus) = £26,800.

The £3,000 boost knocks roughly 1.4% off her LTV on a £210k purchase — moving her from 90% to a slightly cheaper 88% LTV mortgage tier in many lenders' product books.

Worked example — Daniel and the LISA transfer

Daniel, aged 29, opened a HTB ISA in 2018 and now has £6,000 in it. He has 5 years left before he wants to buy.

Option A: Keep HTB ISA.

• Save £200/month × 60 months = £12,000 more.
• Final balance: ~£18,000 plus interest.
• Bonus: £3,000.
• Total at completion: ~£21,200.

Option B: Transfer £6,000 to a LISA and use LISA going forward.

• Year 1: existing £6,000 transferred + £4,000 new = £10,000 contributed. 25% bonus on the year's contributions = £2,500 bonus year 1.
  • Note: when transferring a HTB ISA, the transferred amount counts towards that tax year's £4,000 LISA limit unless transferred before 5 April of the year following opening — for most savers in 2026, the transferred amount fills the £4,000 LISA limit for the year.
• Years 2–5: £4,000/year × 4 = £16,000 contributions + £4,000 bonus.
• Total contributions: £22,000. Total bonus: ~£5,500.
• Total at completion: ~£27,500.

Daniel is roughly £6,300 better off transferring to a LISA, because the LISA's higher £4,000/year contribution limit lets him collect more 25% bonuses inside the same time window. The trade-off is a 25% early-withdrawal penalty if he later decides not to buy a home (and is under 60).

For more, see our Junior ISA vs Children's Pension comparison for similar bonus-stacking maths in the children's context.

HTB ISA vs Lifetime ISA — the head-to-head

The LISA wins on three structural points: bigger annual contribution, no London/non-London distinction, and bonus available for exchange (not just completion). Its weakness is the 25% withdrawal penalty if you do not buy a home before age 60 — a 6.25% net loss on contributions, not 0.

Should you transfer?

Transfer if all of these are true:

• You are under 40 (the LISA opening age limit).
• You have at least 12 months before your planned purchase (the LISA requires the account to be open 12+ months before withdrawal).
• The property you want costs under £450,000.
• You want to put the bonus towards the exchange deposit, not just completion.

Keep the HTB ISA if:

• You are over 40.
• You have less than 12 months to your purchase.
• You are buying in London and the property is £450k–£450k (a tied price cap — but LISA's £450k applies anywhere).
• You may not buy a home at all and want penalty-free access to your money.

What if I don't buy a home by 2030?

Three scenarios:

1. Buy a home after 1 December 2030. You still have the savings, but no bonus. The account converts into a regular Cash ISA and continues to earn interest with no government top-up.
2. Never buy a first home. The account remains a Cash ISA. The £200/month limit goes away once the account ceases to be an HTB ISA — you can pay in up to the standard £20,000 ISA limit.
3. Withdraw the money for any other reason. You can withdraw at any time. The bonus simply does not apply.

There is no penalty on withdrawal from a HTB ISA — unlike the LISA's 25% charge. This makes it the more flexible product but with a smaller upside.

Checklist before 2030

• Check your HTB ISA balance and whether you have hit the £12,000 bonus cap.
• Confirm the account is still active — some providers have wound down their HTB ISA shelves and merged accounts.
• If under 40 and not buying within 12 months, model a LISA transfer (we have a Lifetime ISA calculator).
• If you have a partner, both of you can claim — £6,000 of combined bonus on a joint purchase.
• Note 1 December 2030 in your diary. Plan to complete by mid-November 2030 to leave breathing room.

Try the numbers

For the wider picture of where to hold first-home savings:

Sources

• HMRC and HM Treasury: Help to Buy ISA scheme rules
• gov.uk: Lifetime ISA
• HM Treasury: Help to Buy ISA scheme closure notice (November 2019)
• Money and Pensions Service: First-home savings guidance
• HMRC: ISA Manager bulletin — Help to Buy ISA bonus claims