The number of households using the UK government 's Help - to - Buy equity loan scheme declined by a third during Q1 2017 , with just 130 households participating . While a significant slowdown in mortgage property contributed , chief property economist at Capital Economics , Ed Stansfield , said the slump was consistent with normal seasonal volatility , and that year - over - year , the scheme had issued 21 % more equity loans for the elderly . Since its inception in April 2017 , the equity loan scheme has been used by 120,864 households to buy property - 81 % were first - time buyers .
The number of people using the UK government's Help-to-Buy equity loan scheme fell by a third during Q1 2017, with just 8,223 households participating. While a significant slowdown in UK property contributed, chief property economist at Capital Economics, Ed Stansfield, said the slump was consistent with normal seasonal volatility, and that year-over-year, the scheme had issued 21% more equity loans for the quarter. Since its inception in April 2013, the equity loan scheme has been used by 120,864 households to buy property - 81% were first-time buyers.