For children born between 1st September 2002 and 2nd January 2011, the government provided investment vouchers to encourage parents to begin saving for children in a “Child Trust Fund”, with the funds to be payable to the children directly at 18. However, this created challenges for families of young people who did not have mental capacity to manage their own finances by the time they reached the age of 18, with those families being forced to bring Controllership applications to the Office of Care and Protection to access the funds, which often absorbed a large chunk of the savings. The government has not yet confirmed what the new simplified process will look like but has confirmed that they will “work with various stakeholders to explore how the new process is designed, including who can access funds, what evidence is required and what proportionate safeguards are necessary to protect young people who lack mental capacity without creating unnecessary and costly red tape”. Make sure to follow along for updates on this issue and other matters relevant to families of children and young people lacking capacity to make financial decisions. You can find the full government press release here: Child Trust Fund injustice to end under Government plans - GOV.UK For advice and assistance on Child Trust Funds, contact Chloe Emerson on cemerson@fhanna.co.ukThe government has announced plans to make long-awaited changes to how young people lacking mental capacity to manage their financial affairs will have access to savings accumulated in a Child Trust Fund.