Child Trust Funds were introduced for children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011<\/strong>. Every eligible child received a government contribution of at least \u00a3250 when the account was opened, while some children from lower-income households received \u00a3500. The savings are managed by banks, building societies or other authorised providers rather than by the government itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Young people can take control of their account from the age of 16 and gain access to the money once they turn 18, when the account matures. If they already know which provider holds the account, they can contact that organisation directly. If not, according to GOV.UK, they can use HMRC’s free online service <\/a>to identify the original provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The online search requires a National Insurance number and date of birth. Parents or guardians searching on behalf of a child under 18 must provide the child’s full name, address and date of birth, together with any previous names where relevant. HMRC states that applicants usually receive a letter identifying the provider within three weeks if the request is made online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n HMRC has also warned families not to pay third-party companies offering to locate Child Trust Funds. According to HMRC<\/a>, some commercial agents charge substantial fees, with one requesting up to \u00a3350 or 25% of the value of the account. The department says customers must still provide the same personal information that is required when using the government’s free service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Money-saving expert Martin Lewis<\/strong> has previously highlighted the scale of the issue, saying that as many as one million Child Trust Funds may have become “lost” because people have either lost track of them or never realised they existed. He noted that every eligible child received an initial government payment regardless of whether their parents added further contributions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Millions-born-between-2002-and-2011-may-have-a-Child-Trust-Fund-waiting-to-be-claimed.-\u00a9-Shutterstock-1200x727.jpg\")
Officials Warn against Paying Private Firms to Trace Accounts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n