More than £300 million has been paid out to people on a low income through Help to Save. Eligibility for Help to Save will be expanded from 2028, so more people than ever before can benefit
from the government savings scheme.
More than 30,000 people on a low income in Wales have opened a Help to Save account.
With more than £300 million having been paid out in bonus payments, and thousands more people set to be
eligible for an account through the Help to Save scheme, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is kicking off
UK Savings Week by reminding people who can benefit.
Help to Save is a government savings scheme offering low-income earners a 50% bonus on whatever they
can save. Between £1 and £50 can be saved each month with an extra 50 pence added for every £1 saved.
Accounts can be open for up to 4 years, and people can save up to a maximum of £2,400, resulting in up to
£1,200 government savings bonus being paid straight into their bank accounts. Bonus payments are made at
the end of the second and fourth years and are based on how much has been saved.
In 2028, the earning criteria will be removed for people with caring responsibilities. The scheme will be open
to all Universal Credit claimants, resulting in an additional 1.5 million households becoming eligible.
Latest figures show 30,450 Help to Save accounts have been opened in Wales since September 2018, with
savers depositing a total of £31.3 million into their savings pots.
Statistics also show that 94% of those who have opened a Help to Save account save the maximum amount
of £50 each month.
Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby said:
“Help to Save is a really beneficial scheme that offers a 50% government bonus on whatever you are able to
save. We want more eligible people to take advantage of it.”
For the attention of Newsdesks No. of pages: 3
Date: 21 September 2026 Ref:
The scheme will also be more accessible as it will be delivered through a multi-provider model, instead of just
one, so banks, building societies and credit unions will be able to offer the scheme directly to their eligible
customers.
Peter Tyler, Director of Personal Banking at UK Finance, said:
“Expanding Help to Save and enabling more financial services providers to offer the scheme directly is a
positive step towards helping people build financial resilience. The scheme provides eligible customers with a
great opportunity and incentives to develop regular savings habits.”
Money can be paid into Help to Save accounts via debit card, standing order or bank transfer.
In the last year, nearly 24,000 people have chosen to open a Help to Save account via the HMRC app where
they can keep track of deposits and view bonus payments.
It takes just a few minutes to check eligibility and open an account online on GOV.UK or via the HMRC app.
Money can be withdrawn at any time, although this may affect the 50% bonus payments.
Find out more about Help to Save at GOV.UK.
Related Posts
Council heads paid off with £300,000 after suspected misconduct
Holmes Financial Solutions Ltd fined £300,000 after making 8.7 million nuisance calls
3 to 300,000 Give to Gain to help support record Welsh workforce