ExH withholding Child Trust Fund

[WhatIsThisPlease]

My DS turned 18 this morning. His dad left before his 2nd birthday and has had little to do with him since (but that's a whole other thread). He was expecting his trust fund to be transferred to his bank account this morning (this is what his dad told him would happen).
His dad has just phoned him (no birthday card, no present, nothing) and said he can't have his trust fund money until he sees him.
We live at opposite ends of the country and he made no attempt to see him over the Easter holidays, he's only seen him twice in the last 12 months. So now DS has to wait until half term in May for money that is legally his.
Can he do this? How do we find out where the money is so my DS can have it?

Do you know where the fund is held?
If so, and you can visit locally or telephone, you might be able to explain that the father is refusing to sign the necessary forms to release the funds to your child. You might be able to scan birth certificate or other I'd to get the funds to your child.

Google 'how do I trace my child trust fund' it will point you in the right direction.

Your ex does not have access to the trust fund...only your son does.

Apologies, just noticed you don't know where it is.

When my DS turned 18 they sent him a letter and he logged in and moved the money himself. I didn’t have to sign or do anything.

The money is now legally your son's, so his dad can't access it or deny him access. It would never have been transmitted into his bank account on his birthday.

www.gov.uk/child-trust-funds/find-a-child-trust-fund

He can search for one on the above link. When he finds it he will almost certainly need to provide the company with identity documents, then do as he likes with it.

It its not up to him. Your son takes over the account now and can move funds out.

He can fill in a form online if he has a passport and make a gateway account or he can write with his info to find out where it is. He’s 18 now and is the account holder so your ex doesn’t have a say in anything. They wouldn’t even speak to your ex on the phone if he rings it’s nothing to do with him now unless he’s doing something dodgy which would be fraud.

Thank you all, that's so good to hear.

DS really doesn't want to see him and I think blackmailing him is a pretty low trick. He's told him "he wants to give him the cash face to face". Presume he means a cheque? Could almost understand it if it was millions of pounds but I think it's about £5k.

I'll log on to the government website and see what we can find out.

Thank you all again!

Thank you all, that's so good to hear.

DS really doesn't want to see him and I think blackmailing him is a pretty low trick. He's told him "he wants to give him the cash face to face". Presume he means a cheque? Could almost understand it if it was millions of pounds but I think it's about £5k.

I'll log on to the government website and see what we can find out.

Thank you all again!

How can his dad have access to the money to give him a cheque? That’s not how it works.

Yes, it's legally your son's money now. The link will give him the info he needs to access it. Happy birthday to him and hope he enjoys using it despite this futile attempt to delay him.

I didn't think there would be a cheque but he's messaged DS to tell him he wants to give him the cash himself.

I have no idea what he's up to this time but I'm very relieved to see that DS can go online and access it himself.

I didn't think it rang true but have never been in this situation so wasn't sure. ExH has dealt with it since he left so I don't even know who the provider is.

You actually can't access it. Only the now adult child can, because they are an adult. My DD's is with hsbc and was always listed on my internet banking but disappeared on her 18th birthday as it's nothing to do with me anymore.

I agre, the dad can;t actually transfer the money.

I was the nominated person for ds's. He has now turned 18 and I can't do anything other than give ds the details and get him to fill in whatever form etc to either cash it in or take over the fund. (I'm encouraging him to wait until university accommodation deposit has to be paid as that will need to be paid before his student loan arrives).

My dd turned 18 last year and I had forgotten about the trust fund. Used the gov page to locate the account and they sent the details by post of the account. Only dd could sort the rest. She had to send her bank details and proof of identity etc then it went into her account. He's probably just got the account details and no access to the money.

We had transferred dds trust fund into a junior ISA but we had to provide ID details and her own account details before the money could be released as the account was in her name.

You could trace the account and then provide the required ID to get the funds transferred or a cheque sent to him.

Thanks everyone, this is all really helpful.

It's all a bit suspicious and has made me wonder what he's up to this time. But I am reassured to know the money is now legally DS's.

We'll go online tomorrow night (out tonight for his birthday 🥳) and make enquiries as to where it is.

Definitely ask for the details on the government website. Although it said it would take a few weeks to arrive, my sons came within a week, so he was able to set up access to it for when he turns 18 in a few weeks.

Is your ex convincing ds the money is a gift from him??
My ds got his transfered through 5 days after he turned 18..exh didn't have anything to do with it at all.

Oh to be a fly on the wall when exh goes into the back to try to withdraw the money

*bank 😄

Yy. "Soz M8, that's your child's. Now fuck off."

Can I ask who was in charge of your DS's fund? My ex has been the sole administrator for it which is why I think he can pull the strings.

😂😂

I was the named person for dds CTF and junior ISA but dd had to provide ID and indicate what she wanted to do with the funds. She wrote and asked them to send the funds to a savings account in her name.