Child Trust Fund: how to find, manage and access your account
A Child Trust Fund is a long-term, tax-free savings or investment account for someone born in the UK between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011. The scheme closed to new accounts in 2011, but millions of existing accounts remain open or have matured.
The money belongs to the child. They can take control of the account at 16, but they cannot withdraw the money until 18. At 18, they can withdraw it or transfer it to an adult ISA.
The first step is to identify where the account is held and whether it has matured. That determines who can give instructions and which options are available.
What is a Child Trust Fund and who has one?
A Child Trust Fund was created for eligible children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011. It holds cash or investments in a tax-free account that belongs to the child and is normally locked until their 18th birthday.
Parents or guardians usually opened the account using a government voucher. When they did not open one within the allowed period, HM Revenue & Customs opened an account for the child. Around 1.7 million of the 6.3 million accounts were opened this way, according to the House of Commons Library.
The scheme stopped accepting new accounts in 2011. Existing accounts continue under the Child Trust Fund rules, while children who are not eligible can use a Junior ISA instead.
How do you find a lost Child Trust Fund?
If you know the account provider, contact it directly. If you do not know the provider, use the free HMRC Child Trust Fund locator. HMRC identifies the provider only. It does not give the account balance.
Someone aged 16 or over who is looking for their own account will need their National Insurance number. A parent or guardian looking for an account belonging to a child under 18 will need the child’s name, address and date of birth, together with any previous names used.
HMRC says online requests usually receive a response within three weeks. There is no need to pay a third-party tracing company to locate the provider.
Who owns and controls the Child Trust Fund money?
The money in a Child Trust Fund belongs to the child. Before age 16, the registered contact manages the account. From 16, the young person can take over as registered contact or leave the existing contact in charge. Neither can withdraw the money before the account matures at 18.
The registered contact can give the provider investment instructions, update personal details, change the account type or move the account to another provider. These decisions affect how the money is held, while ownership remains with the child.
| Account situation | Who controls it? | Available action |
|---|---|---|
| Child under 16 | Registered contact | Manage the account or arrange a transfer |
| Age 16 to 17 | Young person may take control | Manage, contribute or arrange a transfer |
| Age 18 or older | Account holder | Withdraw or transfer to an adult ISA |
| Provider unknown | Account holder or parent | Use HMRC’s free locator |
What happens to a Child Trust Fund at 18?
The Child Trust Fund matures on the account holder’s 18th birthday. No more money can be added. The account holder can withdraw the money or transfer it to an adult ISA, after which the Child Trust Fund closes.
If the account holder gives no instruction, the money remains protected in an account that nobody else can access. Parents and former registered contacts do not gain withdrawal rights when the child turns 18.
Different legal procedures apply when the account holder lacks the mental capacity to manage the matured account. The official Child Trust Fund guidance explains the relevant routes for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Can you add money or transfer it to a Junior ISA?
Anyone can add money to an existing Child Trust Fund before it matures, up to the current annual limit of £9,000. The account remains tax-free, and unused allowance cannot be carried forward to the next year.
Before age 18, the account can be transferred to a Junior ISA through the new provider. A child cannot hold a Child Trust Fund and a Junior ISA at the same time. At 18, the account holder can transfer the money to an adult ISA.
What does the Child Trust Fund show about long-term asset building?
The Child Trust Fund gave millions of children a financial asset with clear ownership and a long holding period. The government contributed £2 billion across 6.3 million accounts. The structure created a starting asset, but it did not ensure that every account holder remained aware of the account or could access it easily.
As of April 2025, around 758,000 matured accounts were still continuing as Child Trust Funds. Their average value was £1,980, according to HMRC’s annual savings statistics. Provider changes, outdated contact details and accounts opened automatically by HMRC contributed to the access problem.
For investors, the useful distinction is between account design and investor outcome. Clear ownership, restricted early access and a long time horizon can support asset building. Awareness, provider communication and the decision made at maturity still affect whether the asset is used. The wider relationship between ownership, liquidity and financial resilience is covered in the Asset-Building Statistics and Evidence index.