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Child Trust Funds FAQs

If you're having any problems managing a OneFamily Child Trust Fund, take a look at our Help and Support pages.

General information

Does my child have a Child Trust Fund?

How do I find out if I or my child have a Child Trust Fund?

All UK citizens born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011 were given a Child Trust Fund by the UK government. Even if you weren't aware that your child was eligible, a Child Trust Fund will have been opened on their behalf.

As the UK's largest Child Trust Fund provider, there's a good chance that your account is held with us.

Head to our How to trace a lost CTF page to see if we look after your Child Trust Fund.

If you can’t see it on there, then you can register your details with us and we will provide you with information on how to locate your child’s Child Trust Fund at no charge

What is the difference between a stocks & shares and cash Child Trust Fund?

Cash Child Trust Funds hold onto your cash and pay interest on the total amount. A stocks & shares Child Trust Fund invests the money in different funds and company shares on the stock market with the aim of gaining better returns when compared to cash products.

Our Child Trust Fund invests in stocks and shares. Stocks and shares are usually considered a good option if investing over the longer term as this helps even out fluctuations in the stock market and provides good growth potential. However, this comes with a degree of risk. The value of stocks and shares can go down as well as up. Whilst this is normal for stocks and shares it does mean that your child could get back less than is paid in.

What happens when my child turns 18?

The account matures when your child turns 18. This means that the funds in the account become available but only your child will be able to access the money. We’ll be in touch with more information as your child approaches their 18th birthday.

When your child's Child Trust Fund matures, you might be thinking about how they can continue saving. Investing into our Stocks and Shares ISA or Lifetime ISA may be a logical step. A Lifetime ISA could be ideal to help them start saving for their first home. Your child can do this with some or all their Child Trust Fund money.

What is the alternative to a Child Trust Fund?

Why do I have a different amount in my CTF compared to other people my age?

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.

Tracking your account

What Child Trust Fund do I have?

How do I find my account number?

How do I find out how much is in my Child Trust Fund?

How can I see how the fund is performing?

Can I withdraw the funds early?

Santander Child Trust Fund – why has the fund name changed?

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 & Conditions.

Share Centre Child Trust Fund – what do I need to know about the transfer to OneFamily?

If you are the registered contact for the child trust fund you will be able to access the account online. We provide all your statements to you online and send you an email to let you know when they are available. You’ll find all the information you need on becoming the registered contact and how-to setup your online account in your welcome letter.

As part of the transfer process you need to ensure you have reviewed the below important information documents:

Managing your Child Trust Fund

What is a Registered Contact (RC)?

How do I change the Registered Contact on the account?

If the Child Trust Fund is in your name then you’ll be able to make yourself the registered contact after you reach 16. Register for an online account to get started. 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 give us a ring on 0344 8 920 920 or write to us at the address below.

Here's our address:
FREEPOST OneFamily (Please note, this is the full address)

How can I claim a Child Trust Fund on behalf of a vulnerable child?

If you're the Registered Contact for a Child Trust Fund owned by a child who isn't able to access it or 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 is able to access their money. We've also campaigned for all Child Trust Fund providers to do the same.

Where a young person is unable to manage their own affairs, they will need extra support from their parent or guardian and we would ask that you get in touch with us so that we can help you. We’ll look at each situation on a case by case basis and will do our very best make the process as smooth as possible for you.

For further information please telephone 0333 2205067

How do I pay into the Child Trust Fund?

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

How can I change my direct debit?

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 »

How can friends and family pay into the account?

What if I forget my account log-in details?

I've been asked to prove my bank account - how do I do this?

I've been asked to prove my address - how do I do this?

How do I find my National Insurance number?

You'll need your National Insurance (NI) number in order to take ownership of your Child Trust Fund.

Everyone should receive a NI number, from HM Revenue and Customs, before their 16th birthday. If you can't locate yours please try the following:

Paylips, P60s or letters about tax - your NI number wil be displayed on these
Online - if you have signed up for a personal tax account you can login and check your NI number here
By post - get your NI number sent to you through the post by completing this form
By phone - call the National Insurance number helpline. You can find the contact numbers here

If you've never had a National Insurance number, you can apply for one on the government website.

How do I find my address?

Transferring another Child Trust Fund to OneFamily

Why invest with OneFamily?

How do I transfer another Child Trust Fund or Junior ISA to OneFamily?

*We're open 9am-7pm Monday- Friday and 9am-1pm and 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.

General FAQs

Lifetime ISA FAQs

Stocks & Shares ISA FAQs

Junior ISA FAQs

Child Trust Fund FAQs

General information

Tracking your account

Managing the Child Trust Fund Account

Transferring another CTF to OneFamily

Family Bond FAQs

Junior Bond FAQs

Equity Release FAQs