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1.00% annual prize fund rate
Invest from £25 to £50,000
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0.01%
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0.10%
Invest from £1 to £20,000 tax year 2020/21
Junior ISA
A tax-free way to save for children up to the age of 18.
Essentials at a glance
- What's the interest rate?
- 1.50% tax-free/AER, variable
- Can you take money out?
- No: not until the child you're saving for turns 18
- Will you pay tax?
- No: this account is totally tax-free
- What's the min. to pay in?
- £1
- What's the max. to pay in?
- £9,000 in the 2020/21 tax year
Great for you if …
- You want a long-term savings account for a child
- You're 16 or 17 and want to start saving for yourself
- You're happy to open and manage the account online
- You want to transfer in an existing Junior ISA or Child Trust Fund
Maybe not for you if …
- You need to access the money before the child turns 18
- You prefer to manage the account in-branch or by post
- You already have a Child Trust Fund and want to keep it
Junior ISA FAQs
-
While the child is under 16, only their parent or guardian can manage this Junior ISA. Once the child reaches 16, they can look after the account by registering for our online service.
You can only look after this Junior ISA online. You’ll be able to log in to check your balance, review your transactions and change your personal details. We’ll send you an electronic statement every April, showing all deposits made and interest added.
Please remember: you can't make withdrawals from a Junior ISA. On the child’s 18th birthday, we’ll automatically transfer the money to an adult cash ISA from NS&I. The child will then be able to withdraw money. We’ll contact the person who looks after the account about a month before the transfer happens.
-
The person who looks after the Junior ISA can pay in by debit card. And anyone can pay in by bank transfer or standing order. All deposits must be from a UK bank account.
By bank transfer and standing order
Just give this information to your bank, telling them how much to transfer and how often.
- Reference:
- You must enter your Junior ISA account number (not your NS&I number) as the reference. You can find your account number on your statement or by logging into our online service. Make sure you enter your Junior ISA account number correctly.
- Payee name:
- NS&I
- Account number:
- 11994808
- Sort code:
- 60 89 73
To cancel, please contact your bank: not NS&I.
Any deposits that take you over the annual subscription limit will be automatically refunded to your bank account, so you may want to check before making the deposit.
Online or by phone
Log in or call us at any time with your debit card details.
-
Yes. A child cannot have a Child Trust Fund and a Junior ISA (of any type) at the same time. So if you want to open a cash Junior ISA with NS&I and you already have a Child Trust Fund (CTF), you'll need to transfer it to NS&I as part of your application.
How to do the transfer
Before you apply, make sure you've got the details of your CTF provider to hand, including the reference number.
When you apply, select 'Transfer in from another provider' at the bottom of our Junior ISA web page and follow the instructions. Once you’ve submitted your application, we’ll contact your CTF provider on your behalf to arrange the transfer.
-
Yes. A child can't have more than one cash Junior ISA at the same time. So if you want to open a cash Junior ISA with NS&I and you already have one with a different provider, you'll need to transfer it to NS&I as part of your application.
How to do the transfer
Before you apply, make sure you've got the details of your existing Junior ISA provider to hand, including the account number.
When you apply, select 'Transfer in from another provider' at the bottom of our Junior ISA web page and follow the instructions. Once you’ve submitted your application, we’ll contact your existing provider on your behalf to arrange the transfer.
-
Yes. You can either transfer your stocks and shares Junior ISA as part of your application to open an NS&I Junior ISA, or at any time after your NS&I Junior ISA is open. We can only accept a transfer of the whole amount of your existing Junior ISA.
Before you apply to transfer, make sure you've got the details of your existing Junior ISA provider to hand, including the account number.
How to transfer as part of a new application
When you apply, select 'Transfer in from another provider' at the bottom of our Junior ISA web page and follow the instructions. Once you’ve submitted your application, we’ll contact your existing provider on your behalf to arrange the transfer.
How to transfer after your NS&I Junior ISA is open
Log in to NS&I using your NS&I number and password. Select the 'Transfer in from another provider' link in your Junior ISA panel on your homepage and follow the instructions.
Once you’ve submitted your application, we’ll contact your existing provider on your behalf to arrange the transfer.
-
Step 1
Choose the 'Transfer from another provider' button and give us the details of your previous provider.
Step 2
We'll open your NS&I Junior ISA with the balance showing as zero.
Step 3
We’ll contact your existing provider straight away to arrange the transfer.
Step 4
It can take up to 26 days for your previous provider to send the money. As soon as they do, we'll update your balance.
-
It can take up to 26 days for your previous provider to send the money. As soon as we receive it, we’ll update your balance.
-
Only parents or legal guardians can open an account for children under 16. Children aged 16 or 17 can open their own account, or their parent or legal guardian can open it for them. Once the account is open, anyone including grandparents and great-grandparents can pay in by bank transfer and standing order. All deposits must be from a UK bank account. See the 'How can you pay money in?' section for more details.
-
Before we can open the Junior ISA, we’ll need proof of the child’s identity, and we may also need you as the parent or guardian to confirm your identity and address.
To make the application easier, you can just take a photo of each document we ask for and upload it to our secure website. Just make sure the file size of each photo is smaller than 2MB.
We’ll send you an email reminder to confirm your identity as part of the application process. You may have already done this by the time the email arrives, in which case you won’t need to do it again.
What documents do I need?
You’ll need to provide one form of identity for the child, like a certified copy of their passport or birth certificate.
If we also ask you as the parent or guardian to provide proof of identity, you will need two separate documents: one to prove your name (such as your passport or driving licence), and one to prove your address (such as a recent bank statement or utility bill).
Please make sure all documents are valid and in date, or we won’t be able to accept them.
You can also see a full list of documents we can accept for both yourself and the child:
Documents that prove your identity and address
How to upload documents to our website
Shortly after we receive your application to open an account, we’ll send an email that asks you to upload your document photo(s).
- Please log in at nsandi.com as soon as possible after you receive this email. (You’ll need your NS&I number and password.)
- You’ll see a message in a red strip on your homepage: click the 'Upload some documents' link in this message and you’ll be taken to a screen that explains what you need to do.
- When you’re ready, click 'Continue' to upload your document photo(s).
It’s important that you upload the photo(s) before the deadline shown on the upload screen, otherwise we won’t be able to accept your application and will have to refund your money.
-
When the child reaches the age of 16, they can start looking after their Junior ISA. They can do this at any time from their 16th birthday. Once they've taken over the account, they can:
- Check their balance
- Make deposits into the account by debit card
- Get notifications when other people make deposits
Your child will need to select 'Log in / Register' then follow the instructions. They'll need to quote either their NS&I number or Junior ISA account number.
When they’ve successfully registered and logged in, they'll see a summary of their Junior ISA on their homepage. They then need to click the 'Take ownership' button. The next screen will ask them to provide their National Insurance number, choose how they want to receive notifications, and confirm they have read the customer agreement (terms and conditions) and Junior ISA declaration.
Remember, your child won’t be able to take money out until they’re 18, when the account will transfer to an adult cash ISA.
-
On the child’s 18th birthday, their Junior ISA ends and we'll automatically transfer the money into an adult cash ISA from NS&I. We’ll contact the person who looks after the Junior ISA about a month before this happens.
If you’re the parent or guardian and you’re still looking after the Junior ISA, please make sure you let your child know what’s going to happen to the account on their 18th birthday. He or she will need to register for NS&I’s online service to be able to access their new adult cash ISA. To do this, they should visit nsandi.com, select 'Log in/Register' then follow the instructions. They will need to quote their NS&I number.
-
Yes! Just fill out a quick online form and we’ll get it sorted for you. Be sure to have the details of the account you want to switch from to hand.
Switch to a Junior ISA – for a child under 16
If you’re 16 or 17 and want to manage your Junior ISA yourself, you’ll need to complete a slightly different form:
Switch to Junior ISA – for 16 or 17 year olds
Prefer the post?
It will take a bit longer, but you can still download and send us a paper form in the post.
Apply for Junior ISA
Please read the below Summary Box below before applying for this account.
Summary Box
- Account name
-
Junior ISA
- What's the interest rate?
-
1.50% tax-free/AER
We calculate the interest daily and add it to your account once a year on 6 April.
- Can NS&I change the interest rate?
-
Yes, the rate is variable so we can change it up or down from time to time, for example when the Bank of England base rate changes or when rates in the general savings market change. See the customer agreement (terms and conditions) for more details.
-
What would the estimated balance be after 12 months based on a £1,000 deposit?
-
A £1,000 deposit would be worth £1,015 after 12 months, if the interest rate stayed at 1.50% tax-free/AER (the rate from 24 November 2020) during the 12 months.
This is an illustration only, so it doesn’t take into account your individual circumstances. It assumes that you don’t make any withdrawals or additional deposits during the year.
- How do I open and manage my account?
-
Our Junior ISA is for children aged under 18 who live in the UK. (Children under 18 who live outside the UK can only hold a Junior ISA if they are a UK Crown servant, or married to or in a civil partnership with a UK Crown servant, or a dependant of a UK Crown servant.)
For children aged under 16, only their parent or legal guardian can open an account. Children aged 16 or 17 can open their own account, or their parent or legal guardian can open it for them.
You can:
- Apply for, and manage, a Junior ISA online only
- Open an account with at least £1, paid by a debit card in your own name, issued by a UK bank
- Pay in up to the maximum Junior ISA allowance each tax year (£4,368 for 2019/20)
If you want to switch to Junior ISA from another NS&I account, simply:
- Can you take money out?
-
No, you can’t withdraw money from any Junior ISA – they are designed as long-term savings accounts to build up a nest egg for the child when they reach 18. (The only exceptions are if the child dies or has a terminal illness.)
On the child’s 18th birthday, we’ll automatically transfer the money to an adult cash ISA from NS&I. The child will then be able to withdraw money. We’ll contact the person who looks after the account about a month before the transfer happens.
- Additional information
-
The interest earned is tax-free, so it won’t count towards the child’s Personal Savings Allowance.
Find out more about tax and savings
We’ll send you an electronic statement in April each year, showing all your deposits and interest earned.
- Some definitions explained
-
Tax-free means the interest is exempt from UK Income Tax.
AER (Annual Equivalent Rate) illustrates what the annual rate of interest would be if the interest was compounded each time it was paid. Where interest is paid annually, the quoted rate and the AER are the same.
Please make sure you’ve read our summary box above and the customer agreement before applying.
Customer agreement (last updated on 9 December 2018)
Apply nowSwitch to Junior ISA
Please read the below Summary Box below before switching to this account for a child under 16.
Summary Box
- Account name
-
Junior ISA
- What's the interest rate?
-
3.25% tax-free/AER until 23 November 2020
1.50% tax-free/AER from 24 November 2020We calculate the interest daily and add it to your account once a year on 6 April.
- Can NS&I change the interest rate?
-
Yes, the rate is variable so we can change it up or down from time to time, for example when the Bank of England base rate changes or when rates in the general savings market change. See the customer agreement (terms and conditions) for more details.
-
What would the estimated balance be after 12 months based on a £1,000 deposit?
-
A £1,000 deposit would be worth £1,032.50 after 12 months, if the interest rate stayed at 3.25% tax-free/AER (the rate until 23 November 2020) during the 12 months.
A £1,000 deposit would be worth £1,015 after 12 months, if the interest rate stayed at 1.50% tax-free/AER (the rate from 24 November 2020) during the 12 months.
These are illustrations only, so they don’t take into account your individual circumstances. They assume that you don’t make any withdrawals or additional deposits during the year.
- How do I open and manage my account?
-
Our Junior ISA is for children aged under 18 who live in the UK. (Children under 18 who live outside the UK can only hold a Junior ISA if they are a UK Crown servant, or married to or in a civil partnership with a UK Crown servant, or a dependant of a UK Crown servant.)
For children aged under 16, only their parent or legal guardian can open an account. Children aged 16 or 17 can open their own account, or their parent or legal guardian can open it for them.
You can:
- Apply for, and manage, a Junior ISA online only
- Open an account with at least £1, paid by a debit card in your own name, issued by a UK bank
- Pay in up to the maximum Junior ISA allowance each tax year (£4,368 for 2019/20)
- Can you take money out?
-
No, you can’t withdraw money from any Junior ISA – they are designed as long-term savings accounts to build up a nest egg for the child when they reach 18. (The only exceptions are if the child dies or has a terminal illness.)
On the child’s 18th birthday, we’ll automatically transfer the money to an adult cash ISA from NS&I. The child will then be able to withdraw money. We’ll contact the person who looks after the account about a month before the transfer happens.
- Additional information
-
The interest earned is tax-free, so it won’t count towards the child’s Personal Savings Allowance.
Find out more about tax and savings
We’ll send you an electronic statement in April each year, showing all your deposits and interest earned.
- Some definitions explained
-
Tax-free means the interest is exempt from UK Income Tax.
Gross is the taxable rate of interest without the deduction of UK Income Tax.
AER (Annual Equivalent Rate) illustrates what the annual rate of interest would be if the interest was compounded each time it was paid. Where interest is paid annually, the quoted rate and the AER are the same.
Please make sure you’ve read our summary box above and the customer agreement before switching.
Customer agreement (last updated on 9 December 2018)
You’ll need the following information to hand:
- your child’s NS&I number (if they have one)
- the type of account they’re switching from
- and the associated account or holder’s number.
Switch to Junior ISA
Please read the below Summary Box below before switching to this account for 16 or 17 year olds.
Summary Box
- Account name
-
Junior ISA
- What's the interest rate?
-
3.25% tax-free/AER until 23 November 2020
1.50% tax-free/AER from 24 November 2020We calculate the interest daily and add it to your account once a year on 6 April.
- Can NS&I change the interest rate?
-
Yes, the rate is variable so we can change it up or down from time to time, for example when the Bank of England base rate changes or when rates in the general savings market change. See the customer agreement (terms and conditions) for more details.
-
What would the estimated balance be after 12 months based on a £1,000 deposit?
-
A £1,000 deposit would be worth £1,032.50 after 12 months, if the interest rate stayed at 3.25% tax-free/AER (the rate until 23 November 2020) during the 12 months.
A £1,000 deposit would be worth £1,015 after 12 months, if the interest rate stayed at 1.50% tax-free/AER (the rate from 24 November 2020) during the 12 months.
These are illustrations only, so they don’t take into account your individual circumstances. They assume that you don’t make any withdrawals or additional deposits during the year.
- How do I open and manage my account?
-
Our Junior ISA is for children aged under 18 who live in the UK. (Children under 18 who live outside the UK can only hold a Junior ISA if they are a UK Crown servant, or married to or in a civil partnership with a UK Crown servant, or a dependant of a UK Crown servant.)
For children aged under 16, only their parent or legal guardian can open an account. Children aged 16 or 17 can open their own account, or their parent or legal guardian can open it for them.
You can:
- Apply for, and manage, a Junior ISA online only
- Open an account with at least £1, paid by a debit card in your own name, issued by a UK bank
- Pay in up to the maximum Junior ISA allowance each tax year (£4,368 for 2019/20)
- Can you take money out?
-
No, you can’t withdraw money from any Junior ISA – they are designed as long-term savings accounts to build up a nest egg for the child when they reach 18. (The only exceptions are if the child dies or has a terminal illness.)
On the child’s 18th birthday, we’ll automatically transfer the money to an adult cash ISA from NS&I. The child will then be able to withdraw money. We’ll contact the person who looks after the account about a month before the transfer happens.
- Additional information
-
The interest earned is tax-free, so it won’t count towards the child’s Personal Savings Allowance.
Find out more about tax and savings
We’ll send you an electronic statement in April each year, showing all your deposits and interest earned.
- Some definitions explained
-
Tax-free means the interest is exempt from UK Income Tax.
AER (Annual Equivalent Rate) illustrates what the annual rate of interest would be if the interest was compounded each time it was paid. Where interest is paid annually, the quoted rate and the AER are the same.
Please make sure you’ve read our summary box above and the customer agreement before switching.
Customer agreement (last updated on 9 December 2018)
You’ll need the following information to hand:
- your NS&I number (if they have one),
- your National Insurance number
- the type of account you’re switching from
- and the associated account or holder’s number.
Top up your Junior ISA
If you already have an account with us, you can top it up or transfer in from another provider.
All deposits must be from a UK bank account. Simply give the following details to your bank...
- Top up by bank transfer
-
- Reference:
- You must enter your Junior ISA account number (not your NS&I number) as your reference. You can find your account number on your statement or by logging in online.
- Payee name:
- NS&I
- Account number:
- 11994808
- Sort code:
- 60 89 73
Please make sure you've set up your account before transferring money via your bank.
When you set up your payment, you may receive a message saying 'This account can't be checked' or something similar. This doesn't mean the details you are using are wrong but please check them carefully.
Topped up by bank transfer or standing order? You’ll be able to see the money in your account in 2-3 working days.
For more information on topping up by bank transfer see our FAQs
- Top up by debit card
-
Top up your Junior ISA using your debit card
Top up your account - Transfer in from another provider
How to transfer a Child Trust Fund or another cash Junior ISA
Before you apply, please have the details of your Child Trust Fund provider, including the reference number or details of your existing Junior ISA provider to hand, including the account number to hand.
When you apply, click Transfer in from another provider and follow the on-screen instructions. Once you’ve submitted your application, we’ll contact your Child Trust Fund provider or existing Junior ISA provider on your behalf to arrange the transfer.
Transfer in from another provider
How to transfer a stocks and shares Junior ISA into an NS&I Junior ISA
Before you apply to transfer, please have the details of your existing Junior ISA provider to hand, including the account number.
Log in at nsandi.com using your NS&I number and password. Click the Transfer in from another provider link in your Junior ISA panel on your homepage and follow the on-screen instructions.
Once you’ve submitted your application, we’ll contact your existing provider on your behalf to arrange the transfer.
Ready to apply?
Be sure to check our FAQs first, then we'll show you the Junior ISA summary box and customer agreement before you apply.
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