How to find your Child Trust Fund
If you were born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, the government opened a long-term savings account in your name — and there's a good chance nobody's touched it since. You might be owed money sitting in it right now.
Who's eligible
Child Trust Funds (CTFs) were tax-free savings accounts set up automatically for children born in that date range, usually because a parent or guardian was getting Child Benefit at the time. The government kick-started each account with an initial voucher, and some families, friends or relatives topped it up over the years. Even if yours was never topped up, the starting amount has likely been earning interest or investment growth for close to two decades.
You don't need to remember opening one, or even know your National Insurance number off the top of your head, to check — the account exists whether you remember it or not.
How to check — for free
Use the official "Find a Child Trust Fund" tool on gov.uk. It's free, takes a few minutes, and doesn't require you to create an account anywhere else:
- If you're 16 or over, you can look for your own Child Trust Fund using your National Insurance number.
- If you're a parent or guardian of a child under 18, you can look it up using the child's full name, address, date of birth and any previous names used.
The tool won't tell you the balance — only which provider is holding the account. You'll usually hear back within about three weeks if you apply online (postal requests take longer). If you haven't heard anything after six weeks, you can write to HMRC to chase it up.
How to claim — for free
Once you know who holds your account, you contact that provider directly — they'll tell you the balance and how to access it. If you're 18 or over, the money is yours to withdraw or move into an adult ISA; there's no fee from the provider or from HMRC for finding or releasing it.
If the provider no longer exists, has merged, or changed its name, the Find a Child Trust Fund tool should still point you toward whoever now manages the account.
How long it takes
Finding out who holds your account: usually around three weeks online. Once you've identified the provider, releasing the funds is generally quick — often a matter of days once you've completed their identity checks — but timing varies by provider, so ask them directly what to expect.
You may see ads or sites offering to "track down" your Child Trust Fund for a fee or a cut of the balance. The official gov.uk tool does exactly the same job, for free, and sends your request straight to HMRC. There's no reason to pay anyone for this step.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I have to pay to find my Child Trust Fund?
- No. The official gov.uk tool is completely free, and so is contacting your provider once you know who they are.
- What if I can't remember any of my old addresses?
- If you're looking up your own account, you only need your National Insurance number — you can find that on payslips, letters from HMRC, or your Personal Tax Account.
- Is there definitely money in it?
- Almost everyone in the eligible age range has an account, usually with at least the government's initial contribution plus however much interest or growth it's seen since. The exact amount varies a lot from person to person, so the only way to know is to check.
- I'm under 18 — can I access the money now?
- No, Child Trust Funds are locked until you turn 18. Before that, a parent or guardian can check where it is, but the money itself stays untouched until your 18th birthday.
Information checked against gov.uk guidance. Rules can change — always check the official page linked above for the latest details.