Who did Help-to-Buy help?

New research suggests that the areas with the highest demand were neglected by the government's scheme, says Sarah Moore.

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Help can have unintended consequences
(Image credit: Copyright (c) 2013 Rex Features. No use without permission.)

The government's Help-to-Buy equity loan scheme has been criticised for allowing housebuilders to "prop up the market" in parts of England where prices and demand for houses remain low.By making it easier for first-time buyers to get on the property ladder, the scheme was meant to encourage builders to build more properties where they are most needed.

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Sarah is MoneyWeek's investment editor. She graduated from the University of Southampton with a BA in English and History, before going on to complete a graduate diploma in law at the College of Law in Guildford. She joined MoneyWeek in 2014 and writes on funds, personal finance, pensions and property.