You do not need to pay a company to find a lost Child Trust Fund. HMRC has a free tracing service, and if you already know the provider, you can contact it directly. Finding the account and withdrawing its money are separate steps.
The distinction matters as students head back to college and university. In a 1 September 2026 announcement, the Financial Conduct Authority highlighted HMRC figures showing 760,000 matured accounts still unclaimed, with an average value of about £2,000. That is an average, not a promised payout for an individual.
Who might have a Child Trust Fund?
The scheme covered eligible children born from 1 September 2002 to 2 January 2011 and is closed to new applicants. Account holders can access their money at 18. Being in the birth-date range is a reason to check, not proof of a particular balance.
What does HMRC’s free search actually find?
The official tracing guide says HMRC can identify where an account was originally opened. The tool does not show its balance and cannot locate a Junior ISA.
You can use it for your own fund from age 16, or as a parent or guardian of a child under 18. For your own search, have your National Insurance number ready; adoption details may also be needed. HMRC says online requests usually receive a letter within three weeks, while postal requests take longer.
Once you have the provider’s details, contact it about the account and its identity-checking process. Tracing does not itself authorise a withdrawal.
What happens when the account holder turns 18?
Under the government’s maturity guidance, the young adult takes control, and further contributions stop. They can withdraw the money or transfer it into an adult ISA. Until they act, it remains in an account that no one else can access.
Where the account holder cannot manage their own finances, separate legal arrangements can apply. Families should use the official guidance for their UK jurisdiction rather than assume parental responsibility automatically gives access.
Why is the FCA raising this now?
The regulator is also reviewing contact problems, fair value and barriers affecting vulnerable account holders, with findings expected in 2027. Its immediate message is simpler: paying a tracing intermediary is not necessary to use the free route.
Reporting basis: FCA announcement and HMRC guidance, checked on 3 September 2026. This is general information, not a recommendation about withdrawing or investing savings.
Illustrative savings photograph; not an individual Child Trust Fund account. Photo by Fabian Blank on Unsplash