Users of the Help to Save scheme are being alerted to scheduled maintenance that will see the service taken offline overnight.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has confirmed that the digital service will be unavailable from 6:30pm on Thursday 17 September 2026. The system is expected to remain inaccessible until 5:00am on Friday 18 September 2026.
During this window, account holders will be unable to log in to check their balances, make manual deposits, or manage their accounts via the official government portal or app. Potential new applicants will also be unable to start the registration process until the service is restored.
How the scheme works
The Help to Save scheme is designed to encourage low-income workers to build an emergency fund. It offers a 50% government bonus on all savings, which remains significantly higher than any commercial interest rate currently available on the UK high street.
Following the Autumn Budget 2025, the government confirmed that the scheme has been made permanent. Savers can deposit between £1 and £50 each calendar month. The bonuses are paid out after the second and fourth years of the account being open.
The 50% bonus is calculated based on the highest balance achieved during each two-year period. For those able to save the maximum £50 every month, this results in a total tax-free bonus of £1,200 after four years.
Eligibility and benefits impact
The eligibility criteria were updated in April 2025 to make the scheme more accessible. It is currently open to those receiving Working Tax Credit or those entitled to Working Tax Credit and receiving Child Tax Credit.
Crucially, it is also available to anyone receiving Universal Credit who had take-home pay of at least £1 in their last assessment period.
Savers are reminded that while they can withdraw money from their Help to Save account at any time, doing so may make it harder to increase their “highest balance,” which is the figure used to calculate the final bonus.
For those looking for independent advice on whether the scheme is right for them, MoneyHelper provides a comprehensive guide to Help to Save and how it interacts with other state support.
