Our Child Trust Fund

You must confirm any changes to your name or the child’s name in writing with supporting, certified documentary evidence. Click here to find out what kind of evidence we will accept.

To change your address, contact Customer Services.

Yes, the account will remain open and you will remain the Registered Contact.

Yes, but Direct Debits will need to be made from a UK bank account. You can also call our dedicated overseas customer services line on 0044 1273 222 529.

Our online account management service is a secure area of our website where you can log in to view an up to date summary of the child’s account. In order to register for this service, you must be the Registered Contact on the account.

Our online account management service is held within the secure area of our website, which means that extra precautions are in place to protect your information. Do not disclose your username and password to anyone else and do not write them down.

Family Investments will never email or call you to ask for your online account management password.

At age 16 the child may apply to be the Registered Contact (RC) on their Child Trust Fund. If they do not apply, the account will have no RC, but the CTF will continue until the child reaches 18.

We will contact the child at the time with details and options.

You need to contact the CTF office at HMRC on 0845 302 1470. They will confirm access to the CTF with your provider.

If the child has died, please contact Customer Services who will explain what you need to do to claim the money in the Child Trust Fund account.

If the Registered Contact has died then anyone aged 16 or over with parental responsibility for the child can apply to become the Registered Contact. Contact our Customer Services department to find out how.

The first thing to do is call the Government Child Trust Fund helpline on 0845 302 1470. They will be able to let you know where the child’s account has been opened.

If the account has been opened with Family Investments, you should become the Registered Contact.

Download the Become a Registered Contact form (PDF)

If the account has been opened with another provider, you can still transfer it to Family Investments.

Download the Transfer to Family form (PDF)

Downlaod the Transfer to Family Ethical form (PDF)

The Registered Contact (RC) must be aged 16 or over and have parental responsibility for the child. The RC is responsible for managing the CTF on the child’s behalf until they reach 16, at which point the child may become the Registered Contact.

This is a rule which has been put in place by HMRC to avoid conflicting instructions.

If you have opened a Child Trust Fund account directly with Family or through one of our partners then you will automatically be the Registered Contact for the account.

If the Government opened the account with Family because your child's voucher expired, you can still apply to become the Registered Contact.

Download the Become a Registered Contact Form (PDF)

Anyone can pay in to a Child Trust Fund account as long as they have the child’s account number and date of birth. However, the combined contributions cannot be any greater than £3,600 per account year.

You can find information on the different ways you can contribute to the account on our top-up page.

If you are the Registered Contact, you can change the amount being paid each month by logging in to our online account management area. Alternatively, call our Customer Service Team.

If you want to change the date your Direct Debit is going out on, or cancel it altogether, please contact us.

A subscription year runs from the child’s last birthday until the day before their next birthday.

When you first use a CTF voucher to open the account, the subscription year runs from the date the account opens to the day before the child’s next birthday.

If the oversubscription occurs within 14 days of your child’s next birthday we will hold the money then apply it on their birthday (i.e. the start of the next subscription year). Otherwise it will be refunded to the person who made the payment.

If you want to make a payment shortly before the child’s birthday, you may want to consider sending in a cheque or arranging a direct credit (for instance, a bank transfer). Click here for more information on the different ways to contribute.

A Direct Debit can take up to 14 calendar days to collect. This is the period of time it takes to set up the instruction with your bank and for providing suitable advance notice of the collection in accordance with Direct Debit rules.

The child can only access the money at age 18.

No – only the child can access the money, and only when they are aged 18.

Cash interest rates are subject to change. Click here for the latest cash interest rate on the child's account.

From the 6th January 2011, these accounts have tracked the Bank of England (BoE) Base Rate. This means that any changes to the BoE Base Rate will be passed onto our customers within 30 calendar dates. The individual tiers will determine what percentage will be added to the BoE Base Rate as shown below:

• Tier 1 (balances below £750) - we will track 0.5% above the BoE Base Rate, this means if the BoE Base Rate is 1.0%, we will offer a rate of 1.5% and if the BoE Base Rate moves to 2% we will offer a rate of 2.5%.
• Tier 2 (balances of £750 to £1,499) - we will track 1.0% above the BoE Base Rate, this means if the BoE Base Rate is 1.0%, we will offer a rate of 2% and if the BoE Base Rate moves to 2% we will offer a rate of 3%.
• Tier 3 (currently balances of £1,500 and above) - we will track 1.5% above the BoE Base Rate, this means if the BoE Base Rate is 1.0%, we will offer a rate of 2.5% and if the BoE Base Rate moves to 2% we will offer a rate of 3.5%.

No. If your child has a Cash CTF it is invested solely in cash.

The money is currently held with Santander Bank.

Interest is calculated daily and paid annually approximately 6 weeks before the child's birthday.