Question
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support is available to help young adults trace and access their Child Trust Fund savings, particularly those who may need additional assistance to do so.
Answer
As published in HMRC’s 2026 annual savings statistics, approximately 22% of matured accounts are unclaimed. This is down from 25% in April 2025, 29% in April 2024 and 35% in April 2023. HMRC provides a free GOV.UK tracing service and works with providers and other organisations to raise awareness and help young people locate their accounts. HMRC undertakes regular communications activities and works with external partners such as the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service to raise awareness. Additionally, HMRC is planning to write to all 21 year olds with unclaimed accounts informing of their account provider and how to access their funds. HMRC is also undertaking research to better understand the barriers that prevent some young people from accessing their savings. The Government has also established a dedicated Child Trust Fund Taskforce, bringing together Government and industry to help reunite young people with their Child Trust Funds. As part of its work, the Taskforce will examine what is most effective in helping young adults understand how to access their Child Trust Funds and encouraging them to take action HMRC does not hold information on the geographical locations of Child Trust Fund account holders. Therefore, the requested regional breakdowns cannot be provided.
Verdict: AMBER (55/100)
The reply gives concrete information on the first part of the question: a free GOV.UK tracing service, outreach through providers and UCAS, and a planned letter to all 21-year-olds with unclaimed accounts. The second part, about extra help for young adults who need more support, is answered only in general and forward-looking terms, such as research into barriers and a taskforce that will examine what works. No specific additional assistance is named, so the person asking would probably need to follow up on that point.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What support is available to help young adults trace and access their Child Trust Fund savings? | Addressed | Direct | The reply names concrete existing support: a free GOV.UK tracing service, work with providers and UCAS on awareness, a planned letter to all 21-year-olds with unclaimed accounts, research into barriers, and a cross-government and industry Taskforce. Together these describe what is available to help young adults trace and access their savings. |
| What additional assistance is available to young adults who need extra help to trace and access their Child Trust Fund savings? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The item asks about extra help for young adults who need more support, but the reply only describes general measures open to everyone, such as the letter to all 21-year-olds. The research on barriers and the Taskforce's examination of what is most effective are forward-looking and do not name any specific additional assistance for those who struggle to access their accounts. |