Every so often, an old post may do the rounds claiming the government will put £250 into your child’s savings. It’s a lovely thought, and it isn’t completely made up. And, for a few years in the 2000s, it really did happen. So let’s clear it up. The short answer is no, you can’t claim…

The Junior ISA allowance is £9,000 for the 2026/27 tax year, and it has been £9,000 since 6 April 2020. The government has confirmed it will stay there until at least April 203. The Junior ISA allowance started a lot lower. When Junior ISAs launched on 1 November 2011, the annual limit was £3,600. Since…

If your child has a Child Trust Fund (CTF), they’re almost certainly 15 to 17 now. The scheme closed to new accounts in January 2011, so every CTF holder is past childhood, and the last children who qualify, born on 2 January 2011, turn 18 on 2 January 2029. That’s just over two years away….

If a child was born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, the government almost certainly opened a savings account in their name. And, there is a good chance a Child Trust Fund (CTF) could be lying dormant somewhere. Child Trust Funds ran for those nine years, and somewhere between 760,000 and 800,000 of…

The quick answer is ‘no’. Once money goes into a Junior ISA, it belongs to your child. No one can withdraw it until they turn 18, including the child, the parent or guardian who opened the account, and anyone else who paid in. There are only two exceptions to this rule: if HMRC agrees that…

If you’ve ever opened a Junior ISA for your child and wondered whether you’re paying in enough, you’re asking a reasonable question. But, surprisingly, it’s hard to get an honest answer. Most of what you’ll find online is generic advice about the £9,000 annual allowance and vague encouragement to “save what you can”. Here at…

Who actually controls a Junior ISA When considering opening a Junior ISA on behalf of your child, it’s important to know the rules. The money in a Junior ISA legally belongs to the child. However, until a child turns 18, the investment choices and general management of the ISA belong to a parent or guardian…

Most grandparents who are able to contribute to a Junior ISA (JISA) aren’t doing it for one child. Some grandparents could be paying into two, three, or more and across different families, i.e. their son or daughters-in-law. The practical challenge then for a grandparent isn’t ‘can I contribute to my grandchild’s Junior ISA’; more often…

What happens at 18 If the named individual doesn’t access a Junior ISA by the time they turn 18, the funds in the account will not be forfeited. It stays exactly where it is. The fund will still be invested and fully owned by the young person, but it will be inaccessible until they verify…

Most guides compare a Junior ISA against a children’s savings account. That’s not actually the choice a lot of parents are weighing. If you’ve got money left in your own £20,000 ISA allowance, the real question is simpler: open a Junior ISA for your child, or just put the extra away in your own ISA…