Subject: Nationwide Lost Child Trust Fund Money – Anyone Else Affected?

Max2010

Hi everyone,

I’m reaching out to see if anyone else has had issues with missing funds from their Child Trust Fund (CTF) account with Nationwide. I recently requested information about my CTF, only to receive a vague response admitting that the money has been "lost" with no clear explanation of where it has gone.

Despite repeated requests for transparency, Nationwide has failed to provide full transaction records or confirm whether this is an isolated incident or a wider problem affecting other customers.

Given that Nationwide has publicly spoken about fraud risks and introduced a Scam Checker (source), I find it deeply concerning that they can’t account for funds that should have been protected.

• Has anyone else experienced missing funds in their CTF?
• Has Nationwide given you a clear response or resolved your issue?

If this is a broader issue, we need to escalate it together. Please share your experiences.

Thanks,
M.

Wonka_2

So when was it ‘lost’ - presumably you’ve had statements/communication over the years ? 

Assuming it’s ‘yours’ then did you do anything to transfer it on turning 18 ? 

MikeJXE

How to find a lost Child Trust Fund?

Contact your Child Trust Fund provider directly if you know who the account is with. If you do not know the provider, you can ask your parent or guardian. You can also ask HM Revenue and Customs ( HMRC ) to find a Child Trust Fund provider. They can tell you where the account was originally opened.

Max2010

It's been lost as this is what customer services in Branch and in telephone call informed me. It's probably gone to join the one-million-pound slush-fund of CTF described by Which and this website.

I wrote to Prudential Regulation Authority formally raise my concerns regarding the gross failures of the Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) team and the handling of my daughter's Child Trust Fund (CTF) under Nationwide Building Society.

Upon the maturity of this fund, I expected an account to be created in my daughter's name, with the account card and details sent to the registered address associated with the CTF. Instead, Nationwide sent a vague second-class letter, failing to provide clear information. When I inquired about the status of the fund, the Hastings Branch Manager informed me that it had been transferred—yet they were unable to provide details on where it had gone.

Despite submitting two formal complaints (NBSXXXXXX1, NBSXXXXXX2) and two DSAR requests, as well as escalating the matter to the ICO, no meaningful progress has been made. The continued failure to provide transparency and accountability raises serious concerns about Nationwide’s compliance with regulatory obligations.

Additionally, I have raised complaints with the following bodies:

• Office of the Police Complaints (OPC): PONI 50239746-2024
• Financial Ombudsman Service: PNX-5399741-P0M6
• ICO Reference: IC-362648-R4R7

Given the severity of this situation, I requested that the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) investigate the Nationwide Building Society’s handling of CTF accounts and DSAR processes to determine whether it is failing in its regulatory responsibilities. The ongoing lack of clarity and mismanagement of customer funds is unacceptable for a financial institution of this scale.

I informed them that their response conveniently ignores the fact that Nationwide has already failed to fulfil my original DSAR request, submitted on 14th December 2024. This request has already exceeded the statutory timeframe under UK GDPR, meaning Nationwide is already in breach of its legal obligations. Given that you have failed to meet the deadline once, what assurances do I have that you won’t simply do the same again with the new deadline of 5th March 2025?

Under UK GDPR, organizations are required to respond to DSARs within one month unless an extension is justified. Nationwide has not provided any valid justification for exceeding the deadline on my first request, and I will not accept further excuses or delays.

Your response also dismisses my complaint without offering a resolution or redirection to the correct department. I request that you:

1. Confirm whether any of my requested data is currently available and, if so, provide it immediately.
2. Explain in detail why Nationwide failed to meet the deadline for my original DSAR request.
3. Provide the contact details of the team handling my complaint if it is not within your remit.

I expect a response within 48 hours, as any further delay will only reinforce my concerns regarding Nationwide’s compliance with data protection regulations. Should this matter remain unresolved, I will escalate it to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and other relevant regulatory bodies.

Max2010

Wonka_2 said:

So when was it ‘lost’ - presumably you’ve had statements/communication over the years ? 

Assuming it’s ‘yours’ then did you do anything to transfer it on turning 18 ? 

Yes, I do, but according to Nationwide there is now no balance and nothing in the CTF account.

marcia_

Max2010 said:

Wonka_2 said:

So when was it ‘lost’ - presumably you’ve had statements/communication over the years ? 

Assuming it’s ‘yours’ then did you do anything to transfer it on turning 18 ? 

Yes, I do, but according to Nationwide there is now no balance and nothing in the CTF account.

 Assuming its your account are you now over 18? It might be that it was transferred automatically in to a regular isa or to a nominated bank account given when it was opened.