Budget homes plan loophole
The Treasury has still not explicitly said it will prevent homeowners from using Government-backed mortgage guarantees to buy second homes, after ITV News exposed the loophole. It is also feared the cost of the scheme could be passed onto borrowers.
Latest ITV News reports
Treasury tweaks needed on Mortgage Guarantees
Chancellor faces mortgage guarantee backlash
George Osborne faces criticism that his mortgage guarantee plan might actually make houses less affordable.
Read the full storyGuarantee plan sparks new housing bubble warning
The Government's plan to guarantee billions of pounds of new mortgages could lead to a new house price bubble, some economists are warning.
And independent analysts claim tax rises or deeper spending cuts could follow the next election as the Government struggles to slash the budget deficit.
Watch Business Editor Laura Kuenssberg's report:
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Treasury tweaks needed on Mortgage Guarantees
The Treasury has still not explicitly said it will prevent homeowners from using taxpayer-backed Mortgage Guarantees to buy second homes.
Read the full storyEconomist: Loan guarantee 'could push house prices up'
Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said there is a risk that the Government's Help to Buy scheme, designed to make houses more affordable, could have the opposite effect.
Speaking to Economics Editor Richard Edgar, he said: "There is a risk that a lot of this will do more to push prices up rather than making things more affordable."
He added that the policy is a "distributional" one as it helps those without large deposits get on the housing ladder, but in some cases "that's a bigger risk".
Could the Guarantee make mortgages more expensive?
Help to Buy: What the Budget means for house buyers and mortgages
Could the Guarantee make mortgages more expensive?
It opens up the possibility of buying a house to millions who don't have a deposit but they might have to pay more for the privilege.
Read the full storyUnintended consequences?
The Chancellor's big bright idea to put rocket boosters under the housing market could see those funding second homes benefit
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Treasury admits mortgage guarantee scheme could be used on second homes
by Laura Kuenssberg - Business EditorThe Chancellor's loan guarantee scheme could prove to be controversial - not just because of the scale of the measures, but because it could be used for mortgages on second homes.
The Treasury did publish a list of eligibility criteria - you can't use it for buy to let or interest only mortgages - but it hasn't excluded the possibility of using the cash for second homes.
We spoke to the Treasury tonight who admitted it probably is the case as things stand. But I suspect they'll want to squeeze down on this pretty quickly when the legislation goes to consultation.
But as it is currently, the Treasury's official documents do not rule out this huge amount of Government cash being used by some people who are rather well-off already wanting to buy a second property.
Help to Buy: What the Budget means for house buyers and mortgages
How Osborne's Budget aims to boost home ownership
The big surprise in today's speech was the scale of the Government's attempt to boost home-ownership and growth in the housing market.
From next year, it will guarantee the mortgages of prospective home buyers who are struggling to find a loan and offer help on deposits for first time buyers.
Business Editor Laura Kuenssberg reports:
Pounds in the pocket: Budget winners and losers
Today's Budget was a boost for motorists and those on the lowest incomes - but a public sector pay freeze now lasts until 2015.
Read the full storyChanges in personal income tax allowance
Chartered accountants Blick Rothenberg produced this table to show how tax-free income thresholds will change after today's Budget.
Under 65s can earn their first £10,000 tax-free by the start of the 2014 tax year.
By that point, people earning over £31,865 will enter the 40% higher rate tax band.