13 Jul Can You Get FLISP If Blacklisted?
If you have missed payments in the past or have a lower credit score, you might be wondering whether that rules you out of First Home Finance, still commonly known as FLISP. Being blacklisted can feel like a closed door when it comes to owning a home, especially when so much of the property market seems to run on credit scores. It is a common concern, and the answer depends on a few factors.
FLISP Itself Doesn’t Require a Credit Check
The FLISP qualifying criteria focus on your income, citizenship, age, and whether you have owned property before; they do not include a credit score requirement. Since April 2022, you also no longer need an approved home loan to apply, which means your credit history does not automatically disqualify you from the subsidy itself. You can read the full list of requirements on our FLISP qualifying criteria page.
Where Credit Checks Do Come In
Where your credit record can matter is if you also need a bond to fund the rest of your purchase. Banks run their own affordability and credit checks before approving a home loan, and being blacklisted can make that harder. This is why many buyers in this position choose to use FLISP to buy a house with cash, a loan, or a pension instead of relying solely on a traditional bond.
Alternatives If You Can’t Get a Bond
If a bank turns down your bond application, you are not automatically excluded from FLISP. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to combine the subsidy with savings, a pension payout, a stokvel, or an interest-free loan. Self-employed buyers often use similar alternative funding routes when a bank’s standard lending criteria do not fit their income structure.
What You’ll Still Need
Even without a spotless credit record, you will still need a signed Offer to Purchase, proof of income, and the standard supporting documents such as certified ID copies and, where applicable, your marriage certificate or dependants’ birth certificates. None of these documents relate to your credit history, which is why so many buyers who assume they are excluded end up qualifying once they actually apply. Our guide on how to apply for a housing subsidy online outlines the full process step by step.
Talk to FirstStep Housing Before You Assume You Don’t Qualify
Every application is different, and it is worth having a professional assess your situation before deciding FLISP is not for you. Our team keeps in step with the requirements set by the National Housing Finance Corporation and the Department of Human Settlements, so we can tell you quickly where you stand.
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