Not a first time buyer, but am I eligible for a first time buyer...?

Grimpeeper666

OK I Know it sounds confusing.
I was married and I've been divorced for 9 years now. I've been paying off debts from the previous marriage and of course, I lost the house in the "deal" so I have been renting since then. 
I want to purchase a house in the next 3 years or so, but as I am not a first time buyer, I am told I am not eligible for FTB deals. Getting a mortgage is so difficult now and yes, I need to get a deposit first. 
Has anyone got any advice on this please? I want to get off of the Renter's "hole" I am in and back on to the property ownership ladder and know I am putting money into my own property.

K_S

@Grimpeeper666 For mortgage purposes, being classified as an FTB or not will not make a material difference. FTBs might be eligible for a some minor incentives (free val, an extra £100 cashback, etc) but largely the products available as a next time buyer are as competitive as those available to an FTB. I hope that makes sense.

Where your non FTB status might hurt a bit more is in things like not being eligible for a lot of government incentives (H2B from April 2021, discounted stamp duty, whatever new schemes they may come up with to boost home-ownership, etc).