Former CIO. Husband, dad, 6 Star Marathon Majors runner. Campaigning for disabled young people to enjoy their Child Trust Fund savings without going to court.
Forcing families through a complex court process to access one small Child Trust Fund isn’t working.
Disabled young people will lose £210m of their own money.
@AlexChalkChelt
and the government must take urgent action to end this inequality.
Been off-air for a few weeks supporting my son Mikey through a difficult medical crisis. Hopefully now on a firm road to recovery.
Here he is today enjoying some spring sunshine. He’s such a brave person and we love him so much.
@Channel4News
@C4Ciaran
A fantastic explanation of the energy market, viz North Sea oil & gas . Thank you.
There does seem to be a fundamental (and ongoing) problem with government statements being totally divorced from reality.
In 2020, my son Mikey wanted to buy a bike with his Child Trust Fund savings. He cannot manage money, so we faced a difficult and costly court application to help him. Someone told us it would be easier to buy the bike with our own money, then claim his savings back when he died.
Another heartbreaking media article about a disabled child unable to enjoy their savings.
Another parent who can’t face the cost and effort of going to court.
Please
@AlexChalkChelt
@MoJGovUK
, if you care about our children, take bold action now. 🙏🏻
@MartinSLewis
Thanks so much for your support Martin.
80,000 disabled young people denied access to £ms of their savings. Their families facing court action for one £2k savings account.
Firms like
@OneFamilySocial
and Foresters UK have a solution. If only the government would listen.
@pilliarscreatio
This is the engine heating panel for the Saturn 5 main stage, used in Launch Control for most of the Apollo missions. Pretty basic technology with just 2 indicators for temperature OK or too high. Oh - and an emergency switch!
Huge thanks to
@vickyfoxcroft
&
@JeremyMQuin
for raising the Child Trust Fund issue in Parliament yesterday.
A much more positive response from
@BimAfolami
offers some hope for a resolution to this inequality impacting thousands of disabled young people.👇
@MartinSLewis
80,000 young people who lack the mental capacity to manage their own finances are locked out of their Child Trust Fund.
Thanks to
@bimafolomi
for agreeing to meet to discuss this further. I hope his offer is extended to campaigners.
Excellent article from
@EdwardJDavey
@LibDems
explaining why disabled children & their families face court action to enjoy their Child Trust Fund savings.
After 3 years of dithering, the government refuses to introduce a simpler scheme to help them.
BREAKING NEWS: the Child Trust Fund issue will be debated in parliament on Tuesday 19th March.
80,000 disabled young people and their families face a daunting and expensive court process just to access a £2k savings account. They will lose over £210m of their own savings
@BBCAccessAll
@sophiedodgeon
80,000 disabled young people will lose £210m from their Child Trust Fund savings because their families face a complex & expensive court process to access one small savings account.
For 3 years government minsters have promised a simpler way to unlock this money. But the words
A big day ahead for the Child Trust Fund campaign, with a Westminster Hall debate at 4.30pm.
Sending families to court for a £2k savings account isn't working. The court's own statistics prove this, but for 3 years they have failed to take meaningful action to simplify the
Huge thanks to
@EdwardJDavey
and
@JeremyMQuin
for powerful speeches in yesterday’s Westminster Hall debate on Child Trust Funds.
80,000 disabled young people should be able to enjoy their savings. Sending them to court isn’t working. It’s time for action.
An hour to go until the Westminster Hall debate on Child Trust Funds. An opportunity for the government to help thousands of disabled young people enjoy their savings. Will it be more of the same, or will common sense prevail?
Brilliant interview with
@mumof3amigos
on
@bbcwm
. Families with a disabled child face many challenges. Sending them to court so they can help their child enjoy one savings account is absurd. A simpler process could release up to £300m. Why hasn’t the government fixed this by now?
Today we launch the Lost Benefit Calculator.
A weekly update of the money disabled children have lost from their Child Trust Funds.
All because the government won't deliver a simple process to help families avoid the cost and complexity of court action.
£54m & counting.....
It was a privilege to be on
@BBCBreakfast
this morning to highlight the absurdity of sending families with a disabled child to court for one small savings account.
Unless there is urgent action from the government, our children stand to lose £210m.
My interview with
@DannyPike
from
@BBCSussex
just after 7.00am will be on BBC Sounds shortly.
Going to court just to buy your child a bike makes no sense.
Pleased to mention the great support from
@OneFamilySocial
and the finance industry in trying to resolve this injustice.
Pleased to say my son Mikey took delivery of his fab new
@TomcatSNILtd
bike yesterday. Thanks to the courage & support of
@BMO
he's buying it with his own child trust fund without the penalty & delay of court action. We have to remove these barriers for every other disabled teen.
A very sad day for thousands of disabled young people and their families.
After 2.5 years of procrastination
@MoJGovUK
@DominicRaab
have chosen to stop disabled children enjoying their Child Trust Funds.
Legal dogma and arrogance trumps common sense.
On
@Moneybox
today,
@paullewismoney
@bbcdanw
on why disabled teens face a huge loss from their Child Trust Funds.
Over 90% of their accounts worth £210m will be locked by 2029.
The government’s continuing refusal to take meaningful action is shameful.
This week's Child Trust Fund loss statistics can be found in my letter to Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk below.
Tomorrow at 4.30pm, we have a Westminster Hall debate in parliament. An opportunity to turn the tide on this injustice and release tens of £millions for disabled young
Huge thanks to
@MartinSLewis
,
@susannareid100
&
@EdwardJDavey
for highlighting the Child Trust Fund injustice on
@GMB
this morning.
Disabled young people must be allowed to enjoy their savings without their families going through a difficult and costly court process.
Later,
@AlexChalkChelt
@MoJGovUK
Alex, with respect, you can't say 'all'.
In 2023 you abandoned the Small Payments Scheme. Thousands of disabled young people now can't enjoy their own savings. A £210m loss to them.
Please help them by fixing this issue in 2024.
Happy New Year.
@anoniaRomeoUK
@DamianHinds
@RevRichardColes
Hi Richard. I saw your Tweet last year about the wonders of Men-U shaving gel and now I’m hooked. Best shave ever + perfect size for travelling (admittedly not a huge benefit currently). They now do refills, reducing packaging by 90% which makes me even happier. Best wishes.
Good morning. Here is the Child Trust Fund report.
Disabled children have now lost £65.6m from their savings. A small amount of leadership and imagination could change this and make a huge difference to these young people.
@AlexChalkChelt
@AntoniaRomeoUK
@DamianHinds
@MoJGovUK
Just listened to
@mumof3amigos
excellent interview with
@FoxNikkiFox
@bbcnews
. Sending families to court for one savings account is in nobody’s best interests. Please
@DWPgovuk
intervene. Extend the Appointee scheme to cover CTFs & JISAs. Job done.
Excellent article from
@jimconey
in
@thetimes
today. With
@LibDems
leader
@EdwardJDavey
talking about his disabled son John.
Proof that there are politicians who understand the real world challenges that families face.
@JeremyMQuin
confirms cross-party talks on a simpler process to help thousands of disabled young people enjoy their savings. Now with the welcome involvement of HM Treasury team.
In Parliament on Tuesday,
@vickyfoxcroft
is asking the government for an update at Treasury Oral
It was a pleasure to join my parliamentary colleague
@PaulBlomfieldMP
in our ongoing cross-party push to deliver Child Trust Fund fairness for disabled children.
We met HMT Minister
@BimAfolami
who is keen to help secure a resolution.
Thanks to everyone who’s asked their MP to support next week’s parliamentary debate on Child Trust Funds.
It’s so important we get MPs to attend. £210m of savings for disabled young people are at stake.
@contactfamilies
now have this super-easy web page you can use to make the
Fabulous concert with
@russellthevoice
@JerOperaHouse
tonight, with amazingly talented musical support from Mike Moran, Simon Chalk & Progressive school choir. A Debussy/Moon River mix, Puccini, Coldplay and more. Such a great singer and entertainer. Thank you Russell and team!
Cafe trips with Mikey are always special. Great to have lunch with him today. We rarely need an excuse for a piece of cake, but today of all days is just like an open goal. 😬
#pieceofcake
Huge thanks to
@FelicityHannah
@bbcdanw
and the
@Moneybox
team for covering the Child Trust Fund issue again today.
It’s encouraging to see Mike Freer
@MoJGovUK
engaged. As I said on the show - please keep going!
@MartinSLewis
Thank you so much Martin for supporting our children who deserve to enjoy their savings like any other young person.
This is such a simple issue to resolve, with no funding required from the tax payer or the government. Just a small amount of leadership and imagination.🙏🏻
My article in
@theipaper
today about why a simple change could release £m’s for disabled young people like my son. Thanks to
@jessiehewitson
and the team for helping us put a spotlight on this inequality.
"My battle for my dying son's savings."
150,000 learning disabled children are locked out of savings because they cannot open a bank account
✍️
@AndrewofSussex
writes about his son Mikey and why the Government needs to see sense
Spending my next two evenings with
@londonsymphony
(listening not playing😬). Tchaikovsky 5
@BarbicanCentre
tonight, then a John Williams celebration
@RoyalAlbertHall
tomorrow. Together like London buses, but also a testimony to the talent & versatility of this great orchestra.
Great to meet
@EdwardJDavey
@LibDems
today to discuss the Child Trust Fund campaign over a piece of cake. So grateful for his fantastic support. Simplifying access to Child Trust Funds could free up £ms for disabled young people. It urgently needs government action.
#pieceofcake
Good morning. Some breaking news…
Santa’s broken into the Child Trust Fund warehouse and is preparing to hand out £67m of savings to disabled young people. Bright stars in the East & West offer good tidings of great joy!
Who would have thought?
Wishing you a very happy
On
@Moneybox
today
@paullewismoney
covers unclaimed Child Trust Funds.
Please don’t forget, 80,000 disabled young people still face a daunting and costly court process to enjoy their savings.
Leadership and imagination from government could change this.
@AndrewofSussex
@MartinSLewis
@OneFamilySocial
Thanks Andrew for your altruistic drive fighting this.🙌🏻As you know , my 20yr old Sophie is one of the young people , disability discriminated against with CTFs & her fund remains stuck at
@HSBC_UK
Keep up the good fight & with Martin on the case too , it’s positive progression.
Good morning. Here is the weekly Child Trust Fund report.
Disabled young people have now lost an estimated £70.3m from their Child Trust Fund savings. By 2029, they will have lost over £210m. These losses will continue beyond 2029 with Junior ISA accounts.
It's because
Early start this morning for a meeting in London organised by
@STEPSociety
on the Child Trust Fund access issue. An issue preventing thousands of disabled young people enjoying their savings. Grateful to
@HuntersLaw
for hosting it.
Huge thanks to
@R_A_Mortimer
and
@thetimes
for yesterday’s excellent article on the Child Trust Find access issue.
Tomorrow’s Westminster Hall debate could offer thousands of young people like Ryan and Mikey the opportunity to enjoy £ms of their savings.
@contactfamilies
Thank you
@BBCOne
Rip Off Britain for covering the Child Trust Fund issue today.
But as
@PhilipWarford
says,
@OneFamilySocial
and the finance industry are doing their very best to help disabled young people access these funds. The alternative is a far more daunting and costly
Good morning. Here is the weekly Child Trust Fund report. Disabled young people have now lost £71.6m from their savings.
Just a simple change to a process could release tens of £millions for thousands of these young people. Yet there’s still no meaningful action from
Proud of my son Mikey who did his bit for the
@ChaileyHeritage
#focus10stay
challenge last week by cycling 10 laps around the Chailey pond. It’s great to see him participating - all thanks to Chailey’s excellent team and facilities that make such a difference to our children.
Good morning. Here is the weekly Child Trust Fund report.
Disabled young people have now lost an estimated £70.3m from their Child Trust Fund savings. By 2029, they will have lost over £210m. These losses will continue beyond 2029 with Junior ISA accounts.
It's because parents
Grateful to
@jessiehewitson
@theipaper
for continuing to put a spotlight on the Child Trust Fund issue.
Disabled children must be allowed to enjoy their savings.
@AlexChalkChelt
please take bold action to fix this now.
A good meeting with my MP Jeremy Quin yesterday about the Child Trust Fund.
We discussed a new solution that could simplify access for disabled young people and also help
@MoJGovUK
reduce paperwork.
The next step is to ask
@AlexChalkChelt
and team to listen to our ideas.
Huge thanks to
@ACunninghamMP
and other MPs for attending the Westminster Hall CTF debate today.
A big moment for our campaign. More importantly, a big moment for 80,000 disabled young people who can’t enjoy their savings like others.
I’m in Westminster Hall this afternoon
On
@Moneybox
today, the latest development on the Child Trust Fund issue that’s preventing thousands of disabled young people from accessing their savings.
@BBCRadio4
at 12.00pm with
@FelicityHannah
and
@bbcdanw
Good morning. Here is the weekly Child Trust Fund report. Disabled young people have now lost £72m from their savings.
Sending families through a daunting court process for one small savings account isn’t working. There is a compelling need for a simpler process.
Wishing you
Hoping we may hear something positive today when
@vickyfoxcroft
asks
@hmtreasury
ministers for an update on the Child Trust Fund issue in parliament.
Oral Questions starts at 2.30pm and is available on parliament live TV.
It was a pleasure to join my parliamentary colleague
@PaulBlomfieldMP
in our ongoing cross-party push to deliver Child Trust Fund fairness for disabled children.
We met HMT Minister
@BimAfolami
who is keen to help secure a resolution.
Was invited to join a meeting with
@MoJGovUK
on Monday about the Small Payments Scheme consultation.
Then told I can’t attend as parents of disabled children are excluded.
Yes - this makes no sense.
@DominicRaab
can you please explain why parents can’t attend the meeting? 🙏🏻
"My battle for my dying son's savings."
150,000 learning disabled children are locked out of savings because they cannot open a bank account
✍️
@AndrewofSussex
writes about his son Mikey and why the Government needs to see sense
Mikey had surgery in Brighton hospital today. It seems to have gone well. He’s now back on the ward and comfortable.
So grateful to the team at
@UHSussex
for their care and professionalism, as well as the team from
@ChaileyHeritage
supporting us.
So proud of our brave son.
@BBCr4today
- £1.7bn in unclaimed Child Trust Funds. Disabled children facing court action to access their savings.
A huge opportunity to help millions of young people across the UK.
Easily delivered with some imagination from government.
A year ago
@mcreedmills
@Cleggins82
@FoxNikkiFox
@BBCNews
highlighted the injustice of sending families to court to access one small savings account. A situation still creating a financial loss to disabled young people that by 2029 will be equivalent to six years worth of BBC
Good morning
@LibDems
. Here's the weekly Child Trust Fund report. Disabled young people have now lost £72.8m from their savings.
A successful Westminster Hall debate was held last week, led by
@JeremyMQuin
with support from
@EdwardJDavey
. Government ministers have agreed to
On
@BBCRadio4
@Moneybox
at 12.00pm today - why thousands of disabled young people are still locked out of their Child Trust Funds. Without a simpler solution they face an aggregate loss of £200m+ over the next decade.
Another locked Child Trust Fund. Another disabled young person unable to enjoy their own savings. Still no information for parents. This inequality rumbles on 18 months after
@alextomo
@Channel4News
first put a spotlight on the issue.
@DominicRaab
we need some action please. 👇
Good morning. Here is the weekly Child Trust Fund report.
Disabled young people have now lost £74m from their savings. An avoidable loss entirely due to the lack of meaningful action from
@HMCTSgovuk
and
@MoJGovUK
to simplify the court process for applicants with just one
We ordered Mikey’s amazing new bike today from
@TomcatSNILtd
. In about 8 weeks time it will be delivered.
@HMRCgovuk
@MoJGovUK
@JimHarraHMRC
@RishiSunak
It would be fantastic if he could buy it with his child trust fund which he wants to do. Please help us make this happen. 🙏🏻
Dear
@DominicRaab
. Today’s the anniversary of the Small Payments Scheme consultation. I’ve sent you a piece of cake as a reminder. Please will you commit to collaborate with the finance industry to implement this new scheme in 2023. An announcement today would be good. Thank you.
When are government institutions going to show any empathy towards people doing their very best to care for their children in extremely challenging circumstances? They have no idea.
Funny how the DWP might be able to access peoples bank accounts soon but disabled children are still locked out of their trust accounts
Why are those with disabilities or those caring for them constantly treated like criminals?
Been working on the new ‘online’
@MoJGovUK
court process.
Applying for a small Child Trust Fund still requires a minimum of 12 documents (91 pages). The guidance is still dreadful.
@AlexChalkChelt
@VotePursglove
it’s utterly disingenuous to say this process is easy or simple.
I’ve been privileged to meet Ed Davey. This moving video tells his experience of being a carer. We desperately need more politicians like him to speak up about the importance of fixing Britain’s social care system. And to be brave enough to take action.
@EdwardJDavey
@LibDems
Caring isn’t just my family's story, it is the story of millions, caring for each other, dealing with tough times, and keeping going with love.
Sharing our story hasn't been easy, but it's important. It's time to bring carers' experiences into the light.
I’ve always struggled a bit with the saxophone as a classical instrument but Rob Burton in the
#bbcyoungmusician
final has proved me wrong. A brave and brilliant performance with the
@TheCBSO
.
@BBCYoungMus
Agree with Humphrey Burton’s comment that all 3 musicians in the
#bbcyoungmusician
2018 final deserve 1st prize. But....surely the vote must go to
#LAURENZHANG
? Technically excellent. But above this she delivered so much emotional engagement with the
@TheCBSO
. Really amazing.
Unpaid carers are crucial to social care in the UK. Powerful testimony from Elizabeth and
@johnnytimpson1
about the harsh realties of navigating an unreasonably complex system.
The people who run these systems need to focus on helping people like Elizabeth, not hounding them.
'I am so terrified now. I'm not allowed carers allowance.'
Elizabeth had to pay back the government £1623 because she took on extra supply teaching shifts to support her family whilst caring for her son.
Almost 1,000 parent carers have already invited their MP to attend Tuesday’s parliamentary debate on unlocking Child Trust Funds for disabled youngsters — THANK YOU!
If you haven’t yet, it takes just 1 minute to invite your MP via our campaign action:
👉
It’s the
@sharefound
Child Trust Fund conference in Westminster today.
I’m presenting with
@PhilipWarford
from
@renaissance_uk
. We’ll be talking about the ongoing injustice of disabled children facing court action to access a £2k savings account.
Thanks to
@MartinSLewis
and the
@MoneySavingExp
team for highlighting the parliamentary debate on Child trust Funds this week.
Sending families to court to help a disabled child access a small savings account isn’t working. A simpler process can’t come soon enough.
@YourMoneyUK
This is a £210m part of the problem 👇. Thousands of accounts for disabled young people permanently locked. All because their families are still being sent to court to access one small savings account.
In 2021
@scotgov
@OPGScotland
offered a simpler process to help disabled children in Scotland enjoy their Child Trust Funds.
In 2023 disabled children in England & Wales still face a complex court process. Most may never enjoy their savings.
Fair
@MoJGovUK
@VotePursglove
?
@jessphillips
Thanks so much Jess for calling out this inequality.🙏🏻
Two+ years of promises, nine government ministers and nothing delivered to help families.
We just can’t let £210m be lost to disabled young people in the middle of a cost of living crisis.
Big thank you
@rosaltmann
to you and other members of
@UKHouseofLords
for speaking up for Mikey and other young people today. I hope the encouraging words from Lord Wolfson
@MoJGovUK
now turn into action, so that every teenager can enjoy their Child Trust Fund savings.
Good morning. Here is the weekly Child Trust Fund report. Disabled young people have now lost £69.9m from their savings.
Simply because their families can’t justify the cost and effort of a complex court application to access a £2k savings account.
Wishing you all a good
Fab afternoon with Mikey at the Amex stadium today watching
@OfficialBHAFC
play Wolves.
Rewarded with a 6-0 victory for Brighton.
Mikey really enjoyed it.
It is vital that financial services design and deliver products that are accessible to disabled people.
Brilliant to see this new report launched, which will drive accessibility in the banking and credit sector.
Grateful to
@George_Nixon97
and
@thetimes
today for the update on the Child Trust Fund issue. 2 years on, still no decision to help disabled young people access a small savings account without going to court. The work continues…..
A nice end to a busy day in London with
@londonsymphony
and their Half Six Fix concert.
Engaging introductions from
@maxinekwokvln
and
@fxrroth
followed by Beethoven’s beautiful Pastoral Symphony. Perfect.
Thanks to all the musicians 👏
#halfsixfix
A few years ago😬 my parents took me to see
#bernardhaitink
- one of my first ‘proper’ concerts. He was dad’s favourite conductor. Last night was just as special. Very moving to see the shared affection between the audience and
@londonsymphony
for this incredible musician.
Good morning
@uklabour
. Here’s the weekly Child Trust Fund report, with news that
@MoJGovUK
have only received 70 court applications involving a CTF since 2020. Just 0.26% of 26,648 matured CTF accounts. Sending families to court for one savings account isn't working.
That's why