Calls grow for government to automatically release child trust funds at 21

State-funded savings accounts set up for children at birth going unclaimed, with 1.5bn estimated to be sat in bank accounts

As Elle Middlemas approached her 18th birthday, she began wondering if she had a child trust fund, a government savings account given to all children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, that can be accessed as soon as they officially hit adulthood.

She quickly hit a dead end. She wasn't sure if she was even owed the money and could find no information online. An email to HMRC seeking clarity led her nowhere.