Martin Lewis revealed many has got in touch struggling to get a Help to Buy ISA before the deadline. One person revealed they tried to open an account with Barclays and couldn’t get an appointment with his branch.
He revealed he had spoken to the bank and said: “I’ve heard a lot of people say they applied at the bank and got nothing back.”
Martin said: “As long as you have submitted your application it’s open, even if you haven’t put money in or or haven’t put it in by Saturday.”
He added: “Even so, if it were me I’d be taking a screen shot of the time that you did it in case there was any argument after the fact.”
Martin recently spoke about the ISA and LISA accounts on ITV.
He said: “Actually two ISAs give first-time buyers free cash – the other is the Lifetime ISA (LISA). You can open both, but you’ll only get the home-buying bonus on one, and which wins for you is complex.
“With both, as well as interest, a 25 per cent bonus is added to your savings i.e. a £250 boost per £1,000. You’ll need to be a first-time buyer – someone who has never owned or part-owned a property anywhere worldwide.
“ISAs are individual products though, so you can qualify for one even if you’re buying with someone who’s owned before. If you’re both first-timers you can have one each.
“There’s no deadline for opening a LISA, though you’ll need to have had it for a year to cash in the bonus, so opening one early starts the clock.”