September 12th 2018 8:34 am

Written by Greg Donaldson

home :: tax news :: personal tax

Help To Save Scheme Launched Today

Government savings scheme trial completed successfully and now open to all eligible savers.

After initially being mooted for launch in 2016, then a low scale trial pushed it to this October, Help To Save has finally launched.

3.5 million people on low incomes receiving the working or child tax credit (or Universal Credit equivalents) can now open a government run savings account online and receive fifty percent bonuses on their deposits.

The headline rate sounds impressively competitive considering high street/online traditional savings accounts. Those are limited to below one/two percent returns in most cases.

People are limited to depositing a maximum of £50 a month over either two or four years, with a bonus paid in by the government at the two and four year points. The bonus is equivalent to 50 percent of what was deposited in the previous two years.

Essentially, the maximum you can deposit is £50 per month over 48 months, which is £2,400. This means the maximum bonus ever paid on a single account is £1,200. Starting today, and depositing £50 a month without fail for 4 years will result in a total account balance of £3,600 in October 2022.

The government says that the savings account scheme will cost them over £250 million in bonus payments and administration costs over the four year run. The costs could be more of a 'lost income' as even though the bonuses paid are 'tax-free', the deposits made by savers will be 'post-tax'.

In a previous article regarding this scheme we calculated that someone earning £17,000 per year, who has expenditure of £1,000 a month and then £50 of the remaining post-tax income for help to save would actually be using £73 of pre-tax income. This is close to the £25 bonus paid on a deposit of £50.

You can use our pre-tax cost calculator to find out the pre-tax cost of any expenditure for yourself, here.

Sign up for a help to save account at https://www.gov.uk/get-help-savings-low-income.

See more articles from September 2018

Keywords:

Topics
Election - 33 available Personal Tax - 268 available Uk Budget - 88 available Welfare - 6 available Autumn Statement - 23 available Fraud - 13 available Business Tax - 31 available General - 68 available Expenses - 9 available Spring Statement - 7 available Tax Return - 39 available Self Employed - 21 available Limited Company - 4 available Benefits - 1 available Company Cars - 3 available
Browse Archives:
November 2024 - 1 available October 2024 - 6 available September 2024 - 3 available August 2024 - 4 available July 2024 - 5 available June 2024 - 7 available May 2024 - 5 available April 2024 - 2 available March 2024 - 6 available February 2024 - 2 available January 2024 - 4 available December 2023 - 3 available November 2023 - 4 available October 2023 - 4 available September 2023 - 2 available August 2023 - 2 available July 2023 - 2 available June 2023 - 4 available May 2023 - 5 available April 2023 - 2 available March 2023 - 6 available February 2023 - 4 available January 2023 - 7 available December 2022 - 6 available November 2022 - 4 available October 2022 - 5 available September 2022 - 9 available August 2022 - 3 available July 2022 - 3 available June 2022 - 3 available May 2022 - 4 available April 2022 - 3 available March 2022 - 3 available February 2022 - 4 available January 2022 - 4 available December 2021 - 4 available November 2021 - 3 available October 2021 - 3 available September 2021 - 3 available August 2021 - 3 available July 2021 - 6 available June 2021 - 2 available May 2021 - 4 available April 2021 - 3 available March 2021 - 5 available February 2021 - 3 available January 2021 - 9 available December 2020 - 5 available November 2020 - 5 available October 2020 - 5 available September 2020 - 8 available August 2020 - 5 available July 2020 - 13 available June 2020 - 3 available May 2020 - 7 available April 2020 - 5 available March 2020 - 10 available February 2020 - 10 available January 2020 - 6 available December 2019 - 6 available November 2019 - 7 available October 2019 - 5 available September 2019 - 6 available August 2019 - 9 available July 2019 - 6 available June 2019 - 4 available May 2019 - 4 available April 2019 - 4 available March 2019 - 9 available February 2019 - 4 available January 2019 - 6 available December 2018 - 3 available November 2018 - 5 available October 2018 - 7 available September 2018 - 9 available August 2018 - 3 available July 2018 - 4 available June 2018 - 5 available May 2018 - 6 available April 2018 - 4 available March 2018 - 6 available February 2018 - 6 available January 2018 - 2 available December 2017 - 5 available November 2017 - 8 available October 2017 - 5 available September 2017 - 4 available August 2017 - 3 available July 2017 - 5 available June 2017 - 2 available May 2017 - 5 available April 2017 - 4 available March 2017 - 6 available February 2017 - 3 available January 2017 - 4 available December 2016 - 3 available November 2016 - 4 available October 2016 - 3 available September 2016 - 2 available August 2016 - 6 available July 2016 - 4 available June 2016 - 2 available May 2016 - 2 available April 2016 - 2 available March 2016 - 3 available February 2016 - 2 available January 2016 - 5 available December 2015 - 3 available November 2015 - 4 available October 2015 - 3 available September 2015 - 2 available August 2015 - 2 available July 2015 - 5 available June 2015 - 3 available May 2015 - 1 available April 2015 - 2 available March 2015 - 6 available February 2015 - 3 available January 2015 - 3 available December 2014 - 4 available November 2014 - 2 available October 2014 - 5 available September 2014 - 1 available August 2014 - 2 available July 2014 - 2 available June 2014 - 3 available May 2014 - 2 available April 2014 - 5 available March 2014 - 4 available February 2014 - 2 available January 2014 - 5 available December 2013 - 3 available November 2013 - 3 available October 2013 - 4 available September 2013 - 5 available August 2013 - 7 available June 2013 - 1 available April 2013 - 3 available March 2013 - 6 available February 2013 - 5 available January 2013 - 4 available December 2012 - 1 available March 2012 - 3 available January 2012 - 2 available

© 2008 - 2024 UKTaxCalculators.co.uk