Father hails 'breakthrough' as 120,000 disabled young people are to get easier access to their Child Trust Fund savings

Families of disabled young people with learning disabilities were previously forced to navigate costly Court of Protection proceedings — sometimes lasting years — simply to unlock savings that legally belong to their children. The government has now committed to legislation that will let parents and carers deal directly with trust fund providers, cutting out the courts altogether.

Andrew Turner, from Horsham in West Sussex, campaigned for six years after struggling to access his son Mikey's fund when he turned 18.

Economic Secretary Lucy Rigby told the Commons that nearly three million young people have now drawn on their funds, which hold an average of £2,600 each.

An estimated 800,000 Child Trust Funds worth around £1.3 billion remain unclaimed by young people who may not even know the accounts exist.