Government rejects call for support on young people with SEND accessing Child Trust Funds

Tens of thousands of young people with SEND are facing being locked out of their own savings accounts, with calls from parents and advocates resulting in seemingly no action. Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert, has joined the calls and wrote a letter to Claire Coutinho MP, Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, to add weight to the concerns of parents. The response from the government suggests that  current legislation is in place to support parents to apply through the Court of Protection utilising the Mental Capacity Act for legal authority to make financial decisions. It states that “it is the Government’s intention that no parents or carers will have to pay legal fees to access these funds”. The Ministry of Justice released a toolkit for parents and carers to support them in applying to gain access to the Child Trust Fund and support in financial decisions.