21.03.17

I don’t know where the details of my child’s Child Trust Fund are, how do I go about finding out?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone if you have misplaced the details of the Child Trust Fund, we are asked this question a lot. There is actually a search facility on the HMRC website which can we used to locate the details of the Child Trust Fund if you have lost the information. Please click here to access this service.

You can only use this form if both of the following apply:
• You want to find out where the Child Trust Fund is held.
• You have parental responsibility for the child, for example you’re their parent, step-parent or legal guardian.

I don’t know how much is in the Child Trust Fund; how do I find out?

You need to contact the provider of your child’s Child Trust Fund, however most providers send you annual statements of the account. It’s best to make sure the provider has your up to date contact details as they may be sending the statements to the wrong address. Up until your child is 16 years old, the parent/carer of the child is the person the provider will correspond with.

My child is severely disabled and definitely won’t understand about his Child Trust Fund when he reaches 18. What problems will I face accessing the money?

Unfortunately, as this question highlights, Child Trust Funds for disabled and vulnerable children were not thought through properly when the scheme was introduced. If your severely disabled child does not have the mental capacity to access and manage the Child Trust Fund at the age of 18, then you, another family member or carer will need to apply to the Court of Protection to act as your child’s deputy. This process can cost in excess of £400.

Should I stop paying into the Child Trust Fund?

We are not able to advise you on financial issues, but it’s important to consider all the issues surrounding your child’s mental capacity. This article – ‘Making decisions on behalf of a person who lacks mental capacity’ – may help in understanding the Mental Capacity Act which is the foundation for assessing mental capacity.

Every family and disabled individual’s situation is unique. However regardless of your situation, any money held within a child’s name will be taken into consideration when assessing eligibility for means tested benefits and funding.

Can I get the money out of the Child Trust Fund as I didn’t realise this would be an issue?

This is the main problem; no one else can access the money unless they are appointed as the child’s deputy, once they are 18, as the money is in your child’s name. The provider can’t release the money to anyone else.

What can I do about this?

A recent survey we conducted shows 87% of families believe that their disabled child won’t be able to access money held within their Child Trust Fund once they reach the age of 18, so you are definitely not alone.

The current system of applying to the Court of Protection, which is a costly and time consuming process for families, needs to be reviewed for families and carers who are facing the problem of accessing their disabled child’s Child Trust Fund. The #ChildTrustFundAccess campaign aims to raise awareness of this issue at a central Government level, however we can’t instigate change unless people support and share the campaign. More information about the campaign can be found here.

An online petition has been launched, which can be accessed here. Please do all you can to share and encourage people to support the #ChildTrustFundAccess campaign, for more information about the campaign please click here.