Recommendation 13

Families have reported finding the deputyship application process difficult, time- consuming, and costly.18 Fees are waived if families are only applying to access a Child Trust Fund but there are other barriers – we heard examples of a six-page GP letter being needed as part of the process. The Down’s Syndrome Association told us that low awareness about banking safeguards among parents it supports is a barrier to accessing their children’s Child Trust Funds. It explained the fee waiver does not apply if the young adult is still in education, and that many families believe they also need to pay for services of a solicitor.19