Could You Have an Unclaimed Child Trust Fund Waiting for You?
Thousands Yet to Claim Their Funds
According to a recent update from HMRC, around 758,000 young people aged between 18 and 23 in the UK still haven’t claimed their matured Child Trust Fund (CTF) accounts.
Surprisingly, the average unclaimed account holds around £2,242, meaning a significant amount of money is still waiting to be accessed.
What Is a Child Trust Fund?
A Child Trust Fund (CTF) is a tax-free savings account designed to help children build up savings for their future.
It was available to all children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, but the scheme was closed to new accounts in 2011.
Parents, family, or friends can still contribute up to £9,000 a year into an existing CTF.
The funds legally belong to the child.
-
At age 16, they can take control of the account.
-
At age 18, they can withdraw the money.
Any interest earned within the fund is completely tax-free.
How to Find a Missing Child Trust Fund
If you think you might have a CTF, there are simple ways to trace it.
-
If you know your provider:
Contact them directly to check your account details. -
If you don’t know your provider:
Ask your parents or guardians — they may have the original paperwork.If they don’t have that information, you can use HMRC’s online Child Trust Fund tracing service. This service will tell you which provider holds your account.
📊 In fact, more than 563,000 people used this online service between August 2024 and August 2025.
Information You’ll Need
To use the online tool, make sure you have the following details ready:
-
Your National Insurance number (found on the HMRC app if you don’t know it)
-
If you were adopted, details of your adoption
-
If a parent or guardian is searching, they’ll need:
-
The child’s full name, date of birth, and address
-
Any previous names used by either party
-
(Optional) The child’s National Insurance number
-
⚠️ Note: The online form must be completed in one sitting — you can’t save and return to it later.
What Happens Next?
Once you complete the form, HMRC will tell you which provider holds your account, but not the balance.
You’ll need to contact the provider directly to find out how much is in your CTF.
Check Today — Your Money Might Be Waiting
If you were born between 2002 and 2011, it’s worth taking a few minutes to check if you have an unclaimed Child Trust Fund.
You could discover a few thousand pounds that’s been waiting for you all along.
🔗 Find your account here: www.gov.uk/child-trust-funds/find-a-child-trust-fund
For more information, Book a Free Consultation
Need Accountancy Support?
For information on bespoke training, or if you have any other questions for Makesworth Accountant, please fill in your details below




151