Public sector workers priced out of 7 UK regions

Public sector workers priced out of 7 UK regions

Across England and Wales, public sector workers with up to ten years of experience are being priced out of seven different regions according to recent research.

The data from My Home Move indicates that the chances of affording a home outright have fallen below 30% for those working in the public sector.

The seven regions are the East Midlands, East of England, Home Counties, Greater London, South East, South West and the West Midlands. This means that those affected – such as paramedics, teachers, and nurses – may be forced to consider shared ownership schemes, rent, or move North.

In recent years, London has experienced a shortage of teachers, nursing staff and social workers, yet the likelihood of employees in these areas being able to afford a home outright has dropped to around 1%.

Commenting on the data was Doug Crawford. The CEO of My Home Move highlighted the need for greater external help for first-time buyers, especially for those in the public sector.

“It’s a very sad state of affairs that some of the country’s most needed and valued professionals are priced out of the majority of the housing market.

“And while we appreciate that low-interest rates mean ‘cheaper’ borrowing and that the Government’s Help to Buy scheme provides some assistance, the facts still remain the same – for a key worker on a prescribed income, the chance of them buying a home for the first time today, without external help, outside of Wales or the North of England, is minimal.”

My Home Move proceeded to continue their research, looking at public sector workers who had moved up to a mid-range or experienced salary.

The likelihood of these workers being able to afford a home rose across the board, with those in the East Midlands, East of England, South West and West Midlands being brought closer to affording outright, currently 23%[1] of the UK’s workforce. For those in work and live in London however, the chances of affording a home outright grew by just 4%.

Mr Crawford gave further comment on public sector workers and their ability to afford a home at a later point in their career.

“Despite earning a salary towards the top end of their career bracket, following years of employment and experience, a key worker’s chances of buying a home outright in London, the Home Counties or the South East, amounts to not much more than a ‘needle in a haystack’. However, even if you take these regions out of the equation, it’s only those who earn in excess of £40,000 a year, who stand a fair-to-good chance (30% or more) of being able to buy across the rest of the country.

“The Government’s solution is shared ownership. But for those wanting to own a home outright, suitable for a family and not on a leasehold basis, this doesn’t always meet their needs – and according to the 500 people we surveyed, 63% them agreed that a home is not really affordable if it can only be purchased through shared ownership[2].”

 

 

 


[1] ONS employment data 2016

[2] Survey conducted through independent research provider, Gorkana, November 2015

Georgia Owen

Georgia is the Content Executive and will be your primary contact when submitting your latest news. While studying for an LLB at the University of Liverpool, Georgia gained experience working within retail, as well as social media management. She later went on to work for a local newspaper, before starting at Today’s Conveyancer.

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