UK house prices: Will George Osborne's Help to Buy Isa scheme help first-time buyers?

As the housing crisis intensifies in the UK, there is a lot of talk surrounding the government's initiatives to deal with soaring house prices. The government's new Help to Buy Isa scheme will be launched on 1 December and is set to help people gain a foothold on the property ladder.

Research by NatWest shows first-time buyers need to borrow an average of £140,000 to purchase a home, an increase of 2% since 2014. House prices have seen an increase of anywhere between 3.2% and almost 10% depending on calculations.

"Across the country house prices continue to rise pushing up the deposits young people need to get on the property ladder," Angela Byrne, head of savings at NatWest, said. "This means it is now more difficult than ever before for young people to take that first step."

"We are very aware of the strains young people in particular put themselves under to save for their first home. With eight out of 10 of our customers relying on help from their parents this scheme couldn't be more timely."

The new scheme comes as deposits, too, have increased, by 3.3% to £8,000 in 2015. The Help to Buy Isa would see first-time buyers adding an extra £50 to every £200 saved in order to buy a house.

The programme was announced in Chancellor George Osborne's March budget. In his most recent Autumn Statement and Spending Review, he announced another Help to Buy scheme, which helps people seeking shared ownership mortgages.