Can a grandparent open a Junior ISA?

The short answer to ‘Can grandparents open a Junior ISA?’ is yes, as long as the grandparent(s) are the legal guardian of the minor associated with the ISA. That said, there are still ways that a grandparent can contribute to a Junior ISA, even if the grandparent is not the legal guardian.

Junior ISAs are a good way of helping the young person in your life gain financial stability once they come of age, helping to take some of the financial burdens off of tuition fees or when making the deposit on their first property. Junior ISAs are one of the best kids investments that parents or legal guardians can set up for their children since they help to give them a head start in building their wealth and financial future in a tax-efficient way.

Once the child turns 18, they are able to access the funds in a Junior ISA account themselves, as the funds in their ISA accounts will automatically be transferred into an adult ISA account. ISA transfers, of course, are no surprise — the child and co-titleholders are always notified of the change well beforehand, so they can choose to continue to keep the money in an ISA or spend it.

A parent or legal guardian of the child can also make an ISA transfer if they are unsatisfied with the way the account is managed or if they need to transfer funds from a Child Trust Fund (CTF) that had already been opened to a Junior ISA. Child Trust Funds have since been replaced by Junior ISAs, so opening a CTF is no longer possible. If your young person has a CTF, you can transfer the funds from that CTF to a Junior ISA, though you should consult your financial advisor to weigh the benefits between the child trust fund vs junior ISA.

A Junior ISA is a great tool to help secure the financial future of the young person in your life – setting aside an amount to which they can build their savings and develop their saving habits once they get closer to adulthood. Since it is tax efficient, a Junior ISA can be a strategic financial planning tool to pass down wealth to a younger generation, but you should speak with a financial advisor before making any financial decisions.

Cash Junior ISA savings accounts are a tried and trusted option for accumulating and passing down wealth to the next generation, but there’s always the risk that the Cash Junior ISA interest rates may not keep pace with rising inflation, especially in today’s day and age. That means that in the future, once the child can access the money in the savings, the Cash Junior ISA value may have depreciated and may be worth less.

That’s why a Stock & Shares Junior ISA may be a better option for the child since the returns of the stocks are not fixed. Though stocks and shares accounts are subject to other risks, they typically outperform cash-based accounts in the long term.

Can a grandparent open a Junior ISA for their grandchild?

“Can grandparents open a Junior ISA for their grandchildren?” is a common question asked by many looking to invest in their grandchildren’s future. However, only the child’s legal guardian or parent can open a Junior ISA for them. If the grandparents are not the legal guardians of the child, then they cannot open a Junior ISA.

Nonetheless, grandparents saving for grandchildren is still an option! Grandparents are still able to make contributions to their grandchild’s ISA account by paying into an account that has already been set up by the child’s parents or legal guardians. Anyone can pay money into a Junior ISA through lump sum or regular contributions, but the total amount that can be paid into the account in the 2023 to 2024 tax year and beyond cannot exceed £9,000 per annum.

While there are other types of child savings accounts that you can open for the young person in your life to start generating interest on the money that you set aside for them, these may not typically perform as well as a Junior ISA. Better still are the Stock & Shares Junior ISAs that give the child’s money a more significant opportunity to grow over time.

Who can pay into a Junior ISA?

Once the parent or legal guardian has set up a Junior ISA for the child, anyone is able to pay money into the account. The only information that you need to contribute to a Junior ISA is the account number and the child’s date of birth. So, if you are a grandparent and you want to pay into the Junior ISA account of your grandchildren, it’s easy to do so – just ask for the account number (since we know you probably already remember the birthdays of your grandchildren by heart).

How can a grandparent pay into a Junior ISA?

While it is not uncommon to hear the question, “Can a grandparent open a junior ISA?” it is better to understand the payment rules and options available for grandparents. Once you’ve received the account number of the Junior ISA account that you want to pay into, you can make a bank transfer, standing order, direct debit or write out a cheque to the account number and account holder. The only thing to remember is that there is a legal limit to the total amount of money that can be paid into a Junior ISA during any tax year.

However, as with all ISAs, the annual allowance for Junior ISAs should not be exceeded. For the 2023-2024 tax year, a Junior ISA account may receive a maximum of £9,000. That means you will need to coordinate between yourself and others for payments to be made into the account so that you can make the most of the Junior ISA allowance and are sure not to exceed the limit.

FAQ

What is the annual allowance of a Junior ISA?

For the 2023-2024 tax year, a Junior ISA account may receive a maximum of £9,000.

What is the best kind of Junior ISA to open?

It will depend on the financial goal to be achieved. Cash-based Junior ISA savings accounts are a good option for accumulating and passing down wealth to the next generation in a tax-efficient way, although Stocks & Shares Junior ISAs are also an option.

When can my grandchild access the money in a Junior ISA?

Once the child turns 18, they are able to access the funds in their Junior ISA account, and the funds in their JISA will automatically be transferred into an adult ISA account.