What is a Child Tax-Exempt Savings Plan?

Child Tax Exempt Savings plans are only available through Friendly Society’s (like us) and are an additional way to save tax free on top of their Junior ISA allowance. Saving for their future doesn’t have to cost much – the minimum monthly payment for our TESP is just £10 a month up to a maximum of £25.

You can choose how long you want to save for, between a period of 10 and 25 years (or at least their 16th Birthday). Save for a special birthday, help towards university costs, a deposit for a flat or even a new car. It’s a great way to build up savings over time.

Guaranteed tax-free
sum for your child or grandchild

Save from
£10 a month

Invest for 
10 years+

Long-term
growth potential

How does our Child Tax-Exempt Savings Plan work?

They’re guaranteed to get a tax-free lump sum at maturity which will be more than you have paid in! (providing all your monthly payments are made)

Choose how long you want to save for between 10 and 25 years (The child must be at least 16 years old to receive the cash sum)

Option to pay monthly or annually. Affordable monthly payments £10, £15 or £25 

Potential growth thanks to the possibility of bonuses. The amount of bonus added depends on how the With Profits Fund investment performs, which means that the addition of bonuses is not guaranteed especially in the early years.

How much could your child get back?

Use our calculator to find out your child's potential returns.

Savings Calculator

This calculator is only a guide and what your child receives back will depend on the performance of our with-profits fund, meaning your child could get back more or less than this. However, the guarantee that your child gets back more than you pay in protects your child's money as long as you pay all your monthly/annual payments for the plan’s chosen length.

Guaranteed Minimum Return*

£0

Potential Returns

Depending on the investment returns achieved in our with-profits fund, your total payout could be:

2%

£0


5%

£0


8%

£0

*(this is the amount you are guaranteed to get back, as long as you pay into your plan each month/year for its chosen length, without any potential additional bonuses.

Who can take out a Child Tax-Exempt Savings Plan?

Our Child Tax-Exempt Savings Plan is open to all UK residents aged between 0 to 15 years old. If you are not the child’s parent or guardian, we’ll ask you to confirm that they agree to you setting up the plan. We will then send the plan documents to them so you will need to provide their details as part of the application process.

If the person paying into he plan isn’t the child’s parent or guardian, they’ll receive a copy of the Direct Debit agreement to confirm their payments. They’ll also have the right to cancel the plan in the first 30 days.

Have a child over 15 or interested in saving for your future too? Take a look at our Adult Tax Exempt Savings plan.

This plan might be suitable for someone who:

  • Doesn’t currently hold a Tax-Exempt Savings Plan or has one and wants to use their full £25 a month (monthly payments)/£270 a year (yearly payments) maximum savings amount.
  • Wants to take advantage of a tax-efficient investment in addition to any ISA they may hold.
  • Expects to be able to maintain the payments for the full length of the plan, which will be your choice of between 10 and 25 years.
  • Would like to invest in a stocks and shares-related investment but is not prepared to take the risk of investing directly into the stock market.
  • Accepts the risks of investing in a With-Profits fund.
  • Doesn't need the policy to provide a fixed sum of life cover.

This plan might NOT be suitable for someone who:

  • Already has a Tax-Exempt Savings Plan with a Friendly Society and is saving for the maximum limits (£25 a month (monthly payments)/£270 a year (yearly payments)).
  • Won’t be able to keep up the regular payments throughout the term.
  • Wants an investment which has no risks to capital or growth.
  • Wants life insurance with their savings plan.

Your questions answered

Our Child Tax-Exempt Savings Plan is open to all UK residents aged between 0 to 15 years old.

If you are not the child’s parent or guardian, we’ll ask you to confirm that they agree to you setting up the plan. We will then send the plan documents to them so you will need to provide their details as part of the application process.

If the person paying into the plan isn’t the parent or guardian, they’ll receive a copy of the Direct Debit agreement to show they are paying the contributions. They’ll also have the right to cancel the children’s savings plan in the first 30 days.

Have a child over 15 and interested in saving for their future? Take a look at our Adult Tax Exempt Savings plan.

Under current legislation each person (including children) can save up to a maximum of £25 a month or £270 a year in a Friendly Society tax free regular savings plan.

Each year we’ll send you a statement which shows your payments made and any bonuses which have been added from the With-Profits fund performance. In the weeks leading up to the end of your plan, we’ll send you an update on how much we expect it to be worth when it ends.

If you wish to find out the value of your policy, please contact our Customer Service Team on 0333 014 6244.

No, we’re afraid not. Child Tax-Exempt Savings Plans are a fixed savings plan, so withdrawals are not possible until the plan ends (matures).

The child cannot cash in this plan until they reach at least the age of 16. The parent or guardian can apply for the surrender or cashing in of the plan at any time until the child reaches 16. The amount to be paid out will be done so in the child’s name at all times, as the plan is for their benefit.

If the plan is cashed in before its end (maturity) date, your child may get back less then you have paid in. Please refer to your policy and key features document for further information.

We take deductions from the policy at 30% of your first year’s payments and 6% of payments in the following years. These deductions are for the cost of setting up and administering your plan. They will be reflected in the amount you get back when the plan reaches maturity, you cash it in early, or it’s closed because payments have stopped.

Even though these deductions are in place, you are guaranteed to get back more than you have paid in as long as you make all the payments due during the plan’s chosen length.

For further information on our charges please refer to our Key facts document.

If you pass away, whilst you are paying for the plan, someone else may continue to pay the payments so the plan can continue to its maturity date. If there is no one to continue paying into the plan, the plan can either be cashed-in or stopped.

If the child passes away during the term of the plan, we will refund all payments made into the child’s Tax Exempt Savings Plan up to the date of death to the child’s estate.

Please note inheritance tax may be payable, depending on the size of the child’s estate.

Our With-Profits fund invests in a mix of assets including property, equities, cash and UK government bonds. It aims to provide steady growth over the medium to long term by investing in a broad range of assets.

Any profits generated by the fund are used to add an annual bonus to your plan and possibly a final bonus when the plan reaches the end of its term. The addition of bonuses is not guaranteed.

If you would like to learn more about our with-profits fund, please visit the With-Profits Fund section of our Existing Members page. There you will find the relevant documents to help you understand what the fund is and how it works.

Any other questions?

If you need help or have any questions, please contact our friendly UK-based team today on 0333 014 6244 or request a call back.

8am to 6pm Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays. Calls are recorded for training and quality purposes. Calls from UK landlines and mobiles cost no more than a call to a 01 or 02 number and will count towards any inclusive minutes.

How to apply

Apply online

Our easy online journey makes setting up a plan quick and straightforward.

Choose this option if you:

  • Want to arrange a plan straight away
  • Understand the plan fully and feel it's right for you

Request a callback

Our friendly team can talk you through the plan to help you decide if it’s right for you.

Choose this option if you:

  • Would like to learn more about the Child Tax-Exempt Savings Plan
  • Have any questions you want to ask

0333 014 6244

Monday to Friday / 8am - 6pm

Important information

  • Inflation will mean any payout will have less buying power in the future.
  • You could get back less than you have paid in if you end the policy early.
  • If you cancel your policy in the first year, outside of the 30-day cancellation period, you will get nothing back.
  • If you end the policy before the term you choose, you may well get back less than you invested, but also any gain you make could be taxable.
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