£1.6 Billion Sits in Unclaimed Child Trust Funds — Here's How to Check If Some Is Yours

If you were born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, the government opened a savings account for you automatically — and there's a good chance you've forgotten all about it. As of April 2026, more than 750,000 Child Trust Funds remain unclaimed, holding a collective £1.6 billion, an average of around £2,200 per account, according to MoneyWeek.

What a Child Trust Fund actually is

Child Trust Funds (CTFs) were tax-free savings accounts the government set up for every child born in that window, seeded with an initial government contribution and often topped up by family. The money was locked away until the child turned 18, at which point it became theirs to access — but a large share of account holders never got round to tracking their provider down, according to Which?.

Why HMRC is writing to people now

HM Revenue & Customs has begun writing to all 21-year-olds whose CTF remains unclaimed, reminding them an account exists and pointing them toward tracing it, per MoneySavingExpert. If you're in this age group and receive a letter, it can be genuine — but MSE has also flagged a wave of scam copycats trying to exploit the publicity, so verify independently rather than acting on contact details printed in any letter or email.

Checklist: tracing and claiming your Child Trust Fund

• Check your date of birth falls between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011 — if so, an account should exist somewhere in your name.
• If you already know your provider (a bank, building society, or investment firm), contact them directly using their published contact details, not any number from an unsolicited letter or text.
• If you don't know your provider, use HMRC's official Child Trust Fund tracing tool — you'll need your National Insurance number and date of birth.
• If you're 16 or 17, a parent or guardian can request the details on your behalf using the same tool, per MoneyHelper.
• Once you've identified your provider, contact them to confirm the balance and your identity verification requirements before funds are released.
• Never pay a third-party "tracing service" a fee to find your CTF — the official process through gov.uk and your provider is completely free.
• If you're now over 18 and the account has matured, decide whether to withdraw the funds, transfer them into an adult ISA to keep the tax-free wrapper, or leave them invested, depending on the account type.

How this compares internationally

Government-seeded savings accounts for children exist in other countries too, though most have avoided the UK's unclaimed-funds problem by linking accounts more directly to national identity systems. Canada's Registered Education Savings Plan requires active parental enrolment rather than automatic account creation, while Singapore's Child Development Account is similarly opt-in, reducing the risk of accounts being forgotten entirely.

Key Numbers

• 750,000+: unclaimed Child Trust Fund accounts as of April 2026
• £1.6 billion: total value estimated to be sitting unclaimed
• £2,200: average value per unclaimed account
• 1 September 2002 – 2 January 2011: birth date window for eligibility

Sources

• MoneyWeek: £1.6 billion in Child Trust Fund savings left unclaimed
• Which?: Over 750,000 Child Trust Funds are unclaimed
• MoneySavingExpert: Child Trust Fund letters — scam warning
• MoneyHelper: How to find lost Child Trust Funds for free

Educational content only — not financial advice.