Treasury – in the House of Commons at on 7 May 2024.
Vicky Foxcroft
Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
Whether he has taken recent steps with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that people with disabilities can access their child trust fund when they turn 18.
Bim Afolami
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury
On
Vicky Foxcroft
Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
The only way for parents of young people without capacity to access their child trust fund is through a deputyship order. After consulting on the introduction of a mental capacity small payment scheme, which would allow a suitable person temporary access to release the funds, Ministers opted not to legislate, and instead introduced a toolkit, as has been said. Over 80,000 young people in England and Wales remain locked out of their child trust fund, so would the Minister agree to look at this again?
Bim Afolami
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury
I thank the hon. Lady for her question, and I know how avidly she campaigns in this area. The House should know—and you should know, Mr Speaker—that I recently met my right hon. Friend Sir Jeremy Quin and Paul Blomfield to discuss this very issue. I am very happy to meet the hon. Lady as well to discuss it and to see if we can get a solution, because we do want to get this problem fixed.
Jeremy Quin
Chair, Defence Committee, Chair, Defence Committee
I am grateful to the Minister for the meeting to which he referred. Will he compliment financial institutions that are doing their utmost to make it easier for their disabled customers to access their child trust funds and, if his ministerial colleagues can find a way of making that easier across the board, would that have his support and that of his colleagues in the Treasury?
Bim Afolami
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury
I thank my right hon. Friend for his question. Indeed, working with not just the Ministry of Justice, but the Department for Work and Pensions is key to deliver this, as is working with the Financial Conduct Authority to ensure that any financial institution that does the right thing does not lose out or face any regulatory issues. That is indeed something that has my support and that of the Treasury, and we will work across Government to get this right.
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