You must be a legal guardian in order to open a Junior ISA for a child. It’s a great way to save for a young person’s future and help them along the road to financial stability.
Although only a parent or legal guardian can open a Junior ISA, they’re not the only ones who can help save for a young person’s future.
Can a grandparent open a Junior ISA for their grandchild?
Only someone with "parental responsibility" can open a Junior ISA for a child. This means that a grandparent could only open a junior ISA for their grandchild if they are their legal guardian. Otherwise, grandparents will not be able to open a Junior ISA account. However, grandparents can still contribute to their grandchildren’s future by paying into a JISA that a parent has set up.
If you are not the child’s parent or legal guardian but would like to set up a savings account for them, ourJunior Bond is one alternative that allows you to save for them over a fixed term of 10 to 25 years, with a cash lump sum paid to the child when the policy matures.
Who can pay into a Junior ISA?
If you’ve decided to open a Junior ISA for your child, you’ll be able to pay money straight in. But did you know that once it’s set up, anyone canpay into the Junior ISA account?
All you have to do is provide them with the account number of the Junior ISA you want them to pay into, along with the child’s date of birth. If it’s a OneFamily Junior ISA, we even have a helpful‘Making a payment’ page, where they can easily pay in online.
That means whether you’re a grandparent wanting to pay into a Junior ISA for your grandchild, an aunt wanting to pay in money for your niece, or just a family friend wanting to contribute, it’s easy to do so.
How much can you pay into a Junior ISA?
Each tax year, up to a maximum total of £9,000 can be paid into the Junior ISA account, by yourself and others.
How do I pay into a Junior ISA?
Once you have opened your child’s Junior ISA then paying into it is easy. You can pay into a Junior ISA in any of the following ways:
- Direct Debit (online, over the phone or using a paper form posted to us)
- Cheque
- Bank Transfer or Standing Order
- KidStart
Does the government pay money into a Junior ISA?
The government does not pay money into Junior ISAs. This type of ISA is purely for saving and investment for a child’s future, maturing when they turn 18 years old.
This differs from products like theLifetime ISA, which the government will pay into if you hit certain saving criteria, but is only available from age 18 to 39. It can then only be redeemed for the purposes of buying a first home, or on retirement.
The reason a Junior ISA makes such a good choice for young people is that everything paid in, plus any profit earned, will be tax-free - allowing you to save more than you normally would for their future.
How many Junior ISAs can you have?
You can open one of each Junior ISA per child. For example, one may be aStocks and Shares Junior ISAand one may be cash. Once one has been opened, you can then pay into that account as you see fit, and encourage others who would like to contribute, to do so too.
When can a child access the money in their Junior ISA?
A child with a Junior ISA account in their name can only access their money when they are over the age of 18. Once they have reached their 18th birthday then the money will automatically go into an adult ISA. They will be notified of this ahead of time and given the choice to keep saving or to spend the money as they wish.
How to open a Junior ISA
At OneFamily, we make opening a Junior ISA as simple as possible. All you need to do is fill out a form, choose how and when you would like to pay, and you are all set. Here are a few different ways you can set up a Junior ISA with us:
Online
To get started, simply choose from one of our two funds and we can get you set up immediately.
Paper
Prefer a paper application? You can request an application pack be posted to you instead. Find the links at the bottom of our Junior ISA page.
Transfer a Child Trust Fund
If your child has a CTF (Child Trust Fund) with OneFamily or another provider then you can transfer that money into a OneFamily Junior ISA. Visit our Child Trust Fund transfer page to choose and download the relevant transfer form, or give us a call and we will send one out.
Transfer a Junior ISA
If you already have an existing junior ISA with another provider but want to switch over to OneFamily, it’s easy to switch.
To start the process, simply choose and download the relevant transfer form. You then just need to fill it out and post via FREEPOST to FREEPOST ONEFAMILY.
Give your kids the head start they deserve
As a five-time award-winning Junior ISA provider, we have plenty of experience in helping families invest in their children’s future.
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