HMRC is writing to thousands of 21-year-olds to alert them to Child Trust Fund accounts worth an estimated £2,200 on average. The campaign, announced by HM Treasury on 23 April 2026, aims to reunite over 750,000 young adults with unclaimed CTF money.
Key figures at a glance:
- Over 750,000 CTF accounts remain unclaimed across the UK
- Average value of an unclaimed account: approximately £2,200
- Total unclaimed pool estimated to exceed £1.6 billion
- Around 6.3 million CTF accounts were opened between 2002 and 2011
- The free GOV.UK CTF tracing tool takes around 5 minutes to use
Why HMRC is writing to 21-year-olds
Child Trust Funds were introduced in 2005 for every child born in the UK between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011. The government deposited at least £250 into each account, with an extra £250 for low-income families.
HMRC chose to target 21-year-olds because that age group is most likely to have current address details on file through PAYE or student finance. Those turning 21 in 2026 were born in 2004 or 2005, placing them inside the Child Trust Fund eligibility window.
What the data shows about unclaimed CTF money
According to HM Treasury, approximately two-thirds of all CTF holders are already over 18 and eligible to access their forgotten savings. A significant proportion have not done so.
Where parents or guardians did not open an account within 12 months, HMRC opened one on the child’s behalf. Many young adults therefore hold accounts they have no knowledge of.
Lucy Rigby, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, announced the campaign on 23 April 2026. She said: “Hundreds of thousands of young people in this country don’t know they have a CTF, let alone how to access it.
“Some will have a couple of thousand pounds sat there that would really help them as they begin adult life.”
Child Trust Fund scam warning
HMRC and MoneySavingExpert have both warned that scammers are likely to mimic the genuine HMRC letter campaign. Fraudsters typically target recipients through fake emails, texts, and phone calls.
Genuine HMRC correspondence about CTFs arrives by post only. Any email, text, or phone call claiming to relate to a CTF account is a scam.
Suspicious texts can be forwarded to 60599, and suspicious emails to [email protected]. HMRC has also cautioned against using paid third-party claims firms, as the official GOV.UK search tool is entirely free.
How to claim a Child Trust Fund
More than 563,000 people used the free GOV.UK CTF tracing tool in the 12 months to August 2025, according to reported figures. September 2024 alone generated over 71,000 search requests.
Steps to trace your account
- Visit the Find My Child Trust Fund tool on GOV.UK and sign in with a Government Gateway ID or GOV.UK One Login.
- Enter your name, date of birth, address, and National Insurance number.
- HMRC typically responds within three weeks with the name of the provider holding your account.
- Contact the provider directly to withdraw the money or transfer it into an adult ISA.
Parents and guardians can also search on behalf of a child using the child’s NI number or a unique reference from old CTF paperwork. The tool can be used by anyone aged 16 or over.
CTF savings grow tax-free, with no Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax on growth or interest inside the wrapper. Money can be transferred into a Junior ISA before age 18 or rolled into an adult ISA from age 18.
Junior ISAs replaced the CTF scheme in 2011 but do not receive any government contribution. The CTF remains the only savings product where the state deposited money directly.
Could you be owed £2,200 in forgotten savings?
If you were born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, an account may exist in your name. Searching through the GOV.UK tool costs nothing and takes around five minutes.
Tens of thousands of young people with special educational needs or disabilities face barriers to accessing their money. Many require a costly Court of Protection process, and MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis continues to campaign for reform.
Receiving unexpected Child Trust Fund correspondence can be unsettling.
Tax Rebate Services has a guide on how to check whether a tax notice is real that may help distinguish genuine HMRC letters from scams.
Key Takeaways
- HMRC is writing to 21-year-olds about unclaimed accounts, following HM Treasury’s announcement on 23 April 2026.
- More than 750,000 CTF accounts remain unclaimed, with an average value of approximately £2,200 and a total pool exceeding £1.6 billion.
- If you were born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, you could have an account opened in your name without your knowledge.
- HMRC only contacts CTF holders by post — any email, text, or phone call about a CTF is a scam.
- Use the free Find My Child Trust Fund tool on GOV.UK to trace your account in around five minutes.
