Written Question·Department for Work and Pensions·UIN 42859
Child Trust Fund
Tabled: 31 March 2025
Answered: 7 April 2025
Question
James Wild
Conservative — North West Norfolk
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the DWP appointee scheme to cover Child Trust Funds with a value up to £5,000.
Answer
Sir Stephen TimmsThe DWP will not be extending its appointeeship scheme to include Child Trust Funds. The scheme only applies to Government benefits which help with day-to-day living expenses, as opposed to a capital asset like a Child Trust Fund which matures overtime. Further, applying benefit rules to Child Trust Funds would not provide the protections currently delivered by the Mental Capacity Act and could expose vulnerable people to risk.