Junior ISA

✓ Invest from £50 a month
✓ Enjoy a product charge as low as 0% when you stay healthy

With investments, your capital is at risk.

What is a Junior ISA?

Whether you're saving for your child’s university fees, first car or deposit for a home, a Junior ISA could help give them a head start for when they reach 18. JISA’ stands for a Junior Individual Savings Account. It’s an investment that’s highly tax-efficient, which means you don’t need to pay tax on any money your child makes from it.

Here are the basics…

Junior ISAs are a great way to put money away for your child. They’ll be able to access the money as soon as they turn 18
Your child’s money is invested into funds, unit trusts, bonds, and shares in companies. If you’re willing to take some risk with your child’s money, Junior ISAs have the potential to offer higher returns than Junior cash ISAs
You can decide the exact make-up of your child’s Junior ISA portfolio and change it whenever you like.

Remember, your capital is at risk when you invest in stocks and shares. This means you could get back less than you invested.

How much can you invest in a Junior ISA?

You can invest up to £9,000 this tax year.

This is the Junior ISA allowance set by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

Why choose a Vitality Junior ISA?

Here's how we help you reach your financial goals faster

Lower product charges

From 0.45%, to as low as 0%, when you stay healthy.
Flexible payments

Invest from £50 a month or start with £1,500 as a lump sum.
Range of funds

A range of ready-made portfolios that can be matched to your risk preference.
Trusted fund managers

Choose from world-leading fund managers – Vanguard, SEI Investments or Ninety One.
ESG fund options

Choose to invest in Vitality’s Environmental, Sustainable and Governance (ESG) funds.
Discounts and rewards

Get discounts on brands like Caffè Nero, Garmin and more. Earn regular rewards for staying active.
Affordable investing

Top up as much or as little as you like, when you like. You can invest lump sums or regular monthly amounts.
Hassle free transfer

Tell us how much you want to transfer from your current provider and we’ll do the rest.

How to enjoy a product charge as low as 0%

We’re living longer. And we all want the wealth and good health to enjoy it. That's why we've combined wellness and savings. If you invest with us, and track your healthy habits, you could pay no product charge.

The more you look after your health, the lower your product charge. Charges start from 0.45% a year and can get as low as 0%.

This helps keep more of your money invested and gives it a better chance to grow. The healthier you are, the healthier your investments get:

Start off on Bronze status with a product charge of 0.45% per year
Track your activity whether that’s going for a walk, or a gym session to improve your status. The higher your status, the lower your product charge will be
Work your way up to Platinum status and you could achieve a product charge as low as 0%.

More on our investment charges

Important documents

Vitality Junior ISA Plan Summary
Terms and Conditions
Charges Schedule

Junior ISA FAQs

Who can open a Junior ISA?

You can open a Junior ISA as long as:

You’re the child’s parent or legal guardian
You’re aged 18 or over
The child is under 18
The child doesn’t have a CTF. If they do have a CTF and want to open a Junior ISA, you must transfer the entire CTF into the Junior ISA
Your child is a UK resident

A child can only have one Junior ISA. However, a child aged 16 or 17 can open their own adult Cash ISA while holding on to their Junior ISA. Currently, this gives them a combined ISA allowance of £29,000. They can also manage their own cash ISA from the age of 16.

Please note, to open a Vitality Junior ISA, you and your child must be UK residents. Or, if you don’t live in the UK, you must be a Crown Servant (for example diplomatic or overseas civil service) or their spouse or civil partner.

Can I change my mind?

Yes, you have 30 days to change your mind from the date you receive your cancellation notice.

What's the difference between a Junior ISA and a Child Trust Fund (CTF)?

Both products are very similar in that they have the same investment limits and tax efficiency. However, there are some slight differences as follows:

Child Trust Funds were only available to children born between the 1st September 2002 and 2nd January 2011. They were also eligible to receive a Child Trust Fund voucher from the Government.
A child can hold both a cash Junior ISA and Stocks and Shares Junior ISA at the same time, but for Child Trust Funds a child can only hold either a Cash version or a Stocks and Shares version.

Your child is only able to hold a Junior ISA or a Child Trust Fund, not both.

Can anyone else pay into a Junior ISA?

This will depend on your provider. Some providers will only allow the registered contact to pay into the Junior ISA, other providers will allow anyone to pay in. But the total amount contributed by everyone in one tax year can’t go over the allowance of £9,000.

My child has a CTF. Can I move the money into a Junior ISA?

Yes, transferring money from a CTF to a Junior ISA has been allowed since April 2015. But you’d need to close the CTF altogether, as your child can’t have a Junior ISA and a CTF at the same time.

Is there a minimum amount I need to open a Junior ISA with?

There’s no legal minimum limit, but different Junior ISA providers ask for different minimum amounts. The minimum amount to open a Vitality Stocks and Shares Junior ISA is £50 per month, or a single payment of £1,500.

Can you withdraw all the money from a JISA and close the plan?

You can’t close a Junior ISA plan until your child turns 18. When your child reaches 18 they can withdraw the money, or it automatically matures into an adult ISA.

Can I transfer a Junior ISA?

Yes. You can transfer your Junior ISA to another Junior ISA provider. However, a child can only have one Stocks and Shares Junior ISA and one Cash Junior ISA.

Are there any charges on a Junior ISA?

Yes. There is a product charge and a fund charge which go towards the management of your investment.

What happens when my child turns 18?

The Junior ISA automatically converts to an ‘adult’ ISA, the child becomes the registered contact for the account. They then have control of the money, free to spend it, keep it invested in the ISA or re-invest it elsewhere.

What if I don't use this year's allowance?

Unfortunately, you can’t carry Junior ISA allowances over to the following year.

What if I want to invest for more than one child?

You can currently invest up to the allowance of £9,000 a year for each of them. For example, if you have three children under 18, you can invest a total of £27,000 in Junior ISAs each tax year.