Find a Child Trust Fund: HMRC Tool, Claiming at 18, and Capacity

To find a Child Trust Fund, use HMRC’s free online search tool on GOV.UK. You supply the child’s full name, date of birth, and a National Insurance number, and HMRC writes back with the name of the bank, building society, or investment firm that holds the account. A response usually arrives within three weeks. Around £1.4 billion sits in these accounts unclaimed across the UK, much of it in accounts opened automatically by HMRC when parents didn’t choose a provider, so families often have no idea one exists.¹

Child Trust Funds were set up for children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011. If that’s you or your child, there is almost certainly an account somewhere with your name on it.

What You Need Before You Search

The tool asks for three things: the child’s full name, their date of birth, and a National Insurance number. Whose National Insurance number depends on who is searching. Someone aged 16 or over searching for their own fund uses their own NI number. A parent or guardian searching for a child under 18 uses the parent’s or guardian’s NI number instead.²

Your National Insurance number is on payslips, P60 forms, and letters from the Department for Work and Pensions. If you can’t find it, request it from HMRC separately before starting the CTF search. Missing or wrong NI numbers are the most common reason searches stall.

Using the HMRC Search Tool

The search is free and sits on GOV.UK. You sign in with a Government Gateway user ID and password. If you don’t have one, you can create it during the process by verifying your identity with a passport or another government-issued document. Once you’re signed in, enter the child’s details and submit the request.

HMRC’s reply tells you which provider originally opened the account. It does not tell you the balance. For that, contact the provider directly once you have the name.²

Online applications usually get a response within three weeks.

If You Don’t Hear Back

Three weeks is typical, not guaranteed. If six weeks pass with no reply, write to HMRC. Include your reference number if you were given one when you submitted the form. The address is:

Charities, Savings and International 1
HMRC
BX9 1AU²

A single follow-up letter after the six-week mark is usually enough. This is the point where a lot of people give up, which is part of why so much money stays unclaimed.

If the Child Was Looked After by a Local Authority

Children who spent time in local authority care during the eligible period follow a different route. Rather than searching through HMRC, contact The Share Foundation, a registered charity authorised by the government to act as the registered contact for these accounts.³ The Share Foundation also took over accounts previously administered by the Official Solicitor, so even a cold paperwork trail should not block them from locating the fund.⁴

The Share Foundation writes to each young person about two months before their 16th birthday to explain how to take over as the registered contact. From 16 they can manage the account; from 18 they can withdraw the money.³

Once You Find the Account

What happens next depends on the beneficiary’s age.

18 or Older

A Child Trust Fund matures on the beneficiary’s 18th birthday. The young person automatically takes control, no more money can go in, and they choose whether to withdraw the balance or transfer it into an adult ISA. The CTF then closes.⁵

There is no deadline for claiming. If the money is left, it stays in the matured account where no one else can access it, but it may earn little or no interest depending on the provider. Contact the provider, verify your identity with a passport or driving licence, and either withdraw the money to your bank account or arrange an ISA transfer.

Under 18

A child under 18 cannot withdraw the funds. A parent or guardian can transfer the whole balance into a Junior ISA by contacting the new Junior ISA provider, who handles the paperwork. The full balance must move together; partial transfers are not allowed, and the CTF closes when the transfer completes. Transfers typically take about 30 days.⁶ Moving to a Junior ISA can help if the new provider offers better interest or lower fees.

If the Beneficiary Turns 18 but Lacks Mental Capacity

One boundary worth knowing about before you start. If a young person reaches 18 but cannot manage their own finances, no one, including a parent, has an automatic right to access the matured account. Under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the provider will not release the funds until you have a financial deputyship order from the Court of Protection.⁵

The application involves a mental capacity assessment on form COP3, formal notification of the young person and at least three people involved in their life, and then the online application with a deputy’s declaration. There is a 14-day wait after notifying the young person before you can apply, and the application must be submitted within three months of notification or the notification process restarts.⁷

The court fee is typically £408, with exemptions for families where the young person receives certain benefits and has savings under £4,250 and monthly income of £1,420 or less. The court usually also requires a security bond, priced as a one-off premium for accounts under £21,000 and as annual premiums for larger sums. Once appointed, the deputy files an annual report with the Office of the Public Guardian.⁷

In Scotland, the application goes to the Office of the Public Guardian in Scotland. In Northern Ireland, it goes to the Office of Care and Protection.⁵

1
GOV.UK. Child Trust Fund
2
GOV.UK. Child Trust Fund – Find a Child Trust Fund
3
GOV.UK. Child Trust Fund – Accounts for Children in Care
4
The Share Foundation. Local Authorities
5
GOV.UK. Child Trust Fund – What Happens When Your Child Is 18
6
GOV.UK. Child Trust Fund – Managing the Account
7
Social Care Institute for Excellence. Accessing Your Childs Trust Fund When They Reach Adulthood