Child Trust Fund FAQs
Child trust funds are saving or investment accounts for children. Most UK citizens born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011 were given a child trust fund investment voucher by the UK government – worth between £50 and £750 (depending on your circumstances and date of birth).
If you're having any problems managing a OneFamily Child Trust Fund, take a look at our Help and Support pages.
Most Asked
At 18, your child trust fund “matures”. That means the money can be taken out or moved to a different type of account.
You’ll need to log into your online account to let us know what you’d like to do with the money. No-one else can do this on your behalf.
If you don’t instruct us to move your money it will simply stay where it is, but no-one will be able to pay any more money in. If you’d like to keep investing with us, you can simply move your money into a Stocks and Shares ISA or Lifetime ISA through your online account.
Take a look at our Maturity FAQs to find out more.
There are three reasons why you and your peers may have different amounts in your child trust funds when you reach 18.
- You may have started with a different amount. The scheme changed over time so those born later generally were given less. How much money your family had also affected how much the government gave you.
- Friends or family members may have added additional money.
- There are many different types of child trust funds. Your parents will have chosen a fund or this may have been allocated on your behalf. Different funds performed differently, meaning some went up in value more than others.
No. The money in your child trust fund can't be withdrawn until you turn 18. Only the child it was opened for will ever be able to withdraw any money.
The only exception to this is if the child passes away or is diagnosed as terminally ill. Please contact us if this is the case and we’ll support you in accessing the money. You can call us on 0333 2205067 or send us a secure message in your online account.
About child trust funds
Child trust funds (CTFs) are savings accounts for children. The government gave all eligible children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011 a voucher to open a child trust fund, worth on average £250 (although some people received a different amount).
The money in child trust funds can’t be withdrawn until the child turns 18. They are tax-exempt, meaning there’s no tax to pay on any money that the child trust fund makes.
You can’t open a child trust fund anymore, but you can open a junior ISA instead.
If you were born as a UK citizen between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, it is likely you have a child trust fund in your name, even if your parents aren’t aware of it.
The government opened child trust funds on behalf of children if their parents didn’t do so before they turned one. If you think you might have a child trust fund that was opened for you by the government, here’s how you can find it.
Use our tracing tool to find out which company now holds your child trust fund.
If you think you might have a child trust fund, you can find out using our tracing tool.
If your parents don’t remember which company they opened it with, or if the government opened it on your behalf, you will need to contact HMRC to find out where it is.
If your child trust fund is held by OneFamily and you’re 16 or over, you can register for an online account to see your balance. If you’re not yet 16, your parents can do this on your behalf. You will need your National Insurance number to do this.
No. Please do not pay anyone to find your child trust fund for you or agree to pay a company a percentage of your child trust fund in return for them tracking it down.
Instead, use our free child trust fund tracker tool or visit Gretel - a company that helps people find forgotten money, not just child trust funds. Gretel doesn't charge for this search.
The main difference between “cash” and “stocks and shares” child trust funds is how they make money.
Money you put into a stocks and shares child trust fund goes into a fund that’s invested in the stock market. The value goes up or down depending on how the fund performs.
With a cash child trust fund, your money isn’t invested. It grows by earning interest, like a current account does.
Stocks and shares accounts are usually considered a good option if you’re investing for a while, as there’s better potential for your money to grow than there is with cash and, over time, drops in the stock market tend to even out, although this isn’t guaranteed.
However, there is a risk that the value could go down and you could end up with less money than you or the government has put in. This is normal for stocks and shares.
OneFamily’s Child Trust Fund invests in stocks and shares.
You can find out more about the differences between investing and saving in our guide: Is it better to save or invest your money?
When we talk about risk in investing, it’s the risk that you won’t be able to buy as much with your money when you decide to withdraw it compared to when you first invested it.
This could be because the cost of living has grown by more than your investments, or because falls in the stock market have left you with less money than you started with.
You can find out more about investment risk in our interview with a fund manager.
When the government child trust fund scheme ended in 2011, it was replaced by junior ISAs.
Junior ISAs are also tax-exempt savings products with a £9,000 per tax year investment limit. However, the government doesn’t put money into junior ISAs, which it did with child trust funds.
You can open a OneFamily Junior ISA for an eligible child under 16 who you have parental responsibility for.
If you already have a child trust fund, you can transfer this to a junior ISA.
There are three reasons why you and your peers may have different amounts in your child trust funds when you reach 18.
- You may have started with a different amount. The scheme changed over time so those born later generally were given less. How much money your family had also affected how much the government gave you.
- Friends or family members may have added additional money.
- There are many different types of child trust funds. Your parents will have chosen a fund or this may have been allocated on your behalf. Different funds performed differently, meaning some went up in value more than others.
About your OneFamily Child Trust Fund
You can find out which type of child trust fund your money is invested in by logging into your online account.
If you have a OneFamily Child Trust Fund and don't yet have an online account, you can register for one as long as you’re 16 or over. This will make you our Registered Contact and we’ll start writing to you directly about your child trust fund instead of your parents.
If you’re younger than 16, your parents will need to register as they legally need to be our Registered Contact until you turn 16.
Your account number appears on your account statements.
You can also find it by logging into your online account.
Log into your online account at any time to check the value of your OneFamily Child Trust Fund.
We’ll also send a statement just before your 5th, 11th, 16th and 18th birthdays. If any money has been paid into the account that year, we’ll also send an annual statement.
You can find out how your fund is performing by going to our fund performance page.
If you're not sure which fund your money is invested in, log into your online account to find out.
No. The money in your child trust fund can't be withdrawn until you turn 18. Only the child it was opened for will ever be able to withdraw any money.
The only exception to this is if the child passes away or is diagnosed as terminally ill. Please contact us if this is the case and we’ll support you in accessing the money. You can call us on 0333 2205067 or send us a secure message in your online account.
Santander, who manages the fund, decided to rename the Balanced International Tracker fund. It is now called International Multi Index fund. This is a better description of how the fund works. Santander also renamed the share class your Child Trust Fund uses to make things clearer. It is now called CTF accumulation.
These changes will not impact your investment. The fund will:
- Continue investing in the same way
- Have the same annual management charge of 1.5%
- Have the same risk profile
The changes do not affect the product Terms and Conditions.
If you’re the Registered Contact for the Child Trust Fund, you’ll be able to access the account online.
We’ll provide all your statements to you online and send you an email to let you know when they’re available.
You’ll find all the information you need on becoming the Registered Contact and how to register for an online account in your welcome letter.
As part of the transfer process, you need to make sure you have reviewed the below important information documents:
The Registered Contact is the person who looks after and can instruct us on managing the Child Trust Fund, for example transferring it to another provider.
Before the age of 16, the RC is usually your parent or legal guardian. Once you turn 16, you can become the RC yourself simply by registering for an online account and taking over the Child Trust Fund. When you turn 18, you’ll automatically become the RC.
We charge an Annual Management Charge (AMC) which is 1.5% of the CTF value.
When child trust funds were first introduced, they included a lifestyling facility. This meant that, from the age of 13, money in a child's child trust fund would be gradually moved to lower-risk investments. In 2017 however this requirement was lifted, and OneFamily decided not to adopt lifestyling for child trust funds held with us.
If your child trust fund is with us, it no longer has lifestyling. If you'd like to find out more, please visit our page on lifestyling for child trust fund customers.
Managing your OneFamily Child Trust Fund
If the Child Trust Fund is in your name, you’ll be able to make yourself the Registered Contact after you reach 16 simply by registering for an online account. You’ll need your National Insurance number to do this.
You won’t be able to access the money until you’re 18, but any letters and emails we send out will come to you and no-one else will be able to sign in and see your Child Trust Fund statements.
If you have parental responsibility for the child who’s named on the Child Trust Fund, you can take over from the existing Registered Contact, but you will need their permission. They’ll need to write to us so we can send out the forms that you both need to fill in.
If you’re taking over as Registered Contact because you’ve adopted the child who owns the Child Trust Fund or because the existing Registered Contact has died or is not able to manage it, please call us on 0344 8 920 920 or write to us at:
FREEPOST OneFamily (Please note, this is the full address)
There are several ways to pay into the account:
- You can pay into the Child Trust Fund account either by setting up a monthly Direct Debit or by making a one-off payment. Register or log into your online account to get started.
- You can send a cheque made payable to OneFamily or your child to FREEPOST ONEFAMILY (please note, this is the full address). Please ensure on the reverse side of the cheque you write the child’s name, date of birth, account number and your name and address.
- You can also pay into the account using online banking. Use your Child Trust Fund account number as your payee reference - this can be found on your statement or by logging into your online account. Use the details below to pay money into the correct OneFamily account.
| Type of account | Sort Code | Account Number |
|---|---|---|
| Child Trust Fund with account number beginning with a “C” | 60-00-01 | 36238007 |
| Child Trust Fund with account number beginning with a “K” | 60-00-01 | 39495876 |
| Child Trust Fund with account number beginning with a “0” | 20-37-39 | 80017310 |
If you'd like to change the amount you regularly pay into a Child Trust Fund, log in or register for an online account.
If you'd like to change the bank account for your direct debit, please call us on 0344 8 920 920*. Or if you prefer, you can complete a new Direct Debit Mandate form and post it to:
FREEPOST OneFamily (Please note, this is the full address)
Download a Global Investment Child Trust Fund and Ethical Child Trust Fund Direct Debit Mandate »
You can send a payment invitation, which contains all the information they'll need to make a payment into your account.
Please double check that they know your date of birth, as they'll need to enter this to make their payment.
To send a payment invite, please log into your online account, choose your product and click 'Payments'. From there you'll see a 'Send an invite' link. Simply enter their email address and include a message if you like.
You can request a username reminder or to reset your password on the log in page. Select 'Child Trust Fund' and then click 'I've forgotten my username/password' on the log in screen.
You can change your username and password at any time. Just go to the 'Change login details' once you're logged in.
You'll need your National Insurance (NI) number to take ownership of your Child Trust Fund.
Everyone should receive a NI number from HM Revenue and Customs before their 16th birthday. But if you can't find it, you could try the following:
- Check payslips, P60s or letters about tax - your NI number will be displayed on these
- Online - if you have signed up for a personal tax account you can log in and check your NI number. If you're still struggling, the UK government gateway website should be able to help
- By post - get your NI number sent to you through the post by completing this form
- By phone - call the National Insurance number helpline.
If you've never had a National Insurance number, you can apply for one on the government website.
You can find out the fund you’re invested in by checking your most recent statement or logging into your online account.
If you don’t have a recent statement, you can contact us to find out. Please note we can only speak to the Registered Contact about the CTF.
Please give us a call on 0344 8 920 920. We’re here Monday to Friday 9am – 7pm, and on Saturdays 9am – 1pm, UK time. Calls may be recorded and monitored for training purposes.
Child trust fund maturity
At 18, your child trust fund “matures”. That means the money can be taken out or moved to a different type of account.
You’ll need to log into your online account to let us know what you’d like to do with the money. No-one else can do this on your behalf.
If you don’t instruct us to move your money it will simply stay where it is, but no-one will be able to pay any more money in. If you’d like to keep investing with us, you can simply move your money into a Stocks and Shares ISA or Lifetime ISA through your online account.
Take a look at our Maturity FAQs to find out more.
If you're the Registered Contact for a OneFamily Child Trust Fund owned by a child who can’t access it or who needs additional support, please let us know. You can call us on 0333 2205067 or send us a secure message in your online account.
We follow FCA guidance and have processes in place to make sure that everyone can access their money. We look at each situation on a case-by-case basis and will do our best make the process as smooth as possible for you.
We're campaigning for all Child Trust Fund providers to do the same.
For details about how to send us proof of your bank account, and what proof we need, please visit our proving your bank account page
For details about how to send us proof of your address, and what proof we need, please visit our proving your address page
Transferring to a OneFamily Child Trust Fund
We've over 45 years’ experience of being a trusted provider of financial products for children and adults, looking after over £5.5 billion for nearly 2 million customers.* If you transfer to us, you can have peace of mind that your money will be in experienced hands.
*As at December 2022
It's easy to transfer a child trust fund that you hold with another provider into a OneFamily Child Trust Fund or Junior ISA. We accept transfers from cash or from stocks and shares child trust funds or junior ISAs with at least £500 in.
Please note that if you hold a junior ISA, you can only transfer this into another junior ISA, you can’t move it into a child trust fund.
We won’t charge you for transferring but do check with your current provider in case they do.
Start your transfer using our Child Trust Fund transfer page.
*We're open 9am-7pm Monday- Friday and 9am-1pm on Saturday. We might record your call to help improve our training and for security purposes. We hope you don't mind. Calls are normally free from UK landlines and from mobile phones. Calls may be monitored and recorded for training purposes. Calls to 0344 numbers are charged at local rate and will normally be part of any inclusive minutes provided with phone packages, even when calling from a mobile. The actual cost will depend on your provider's tariff. For more information please contact your provider.
What would you like to do next?
Child Trust Fund
We're the UK's largest Child Trust Fund provider and have been looking after child savings accounts for over 16 years.
Transfer a Child Trust Fund
Transfer a Child Trust Fund to a OneFamily Child Trust Fund. You can be sure your child's money is in experienced hands
Make a payment
Maximise this years' allowance by setting up a regular direct debit or a one-off payment into a CTF.