I’m going to Bali with free money from the government – my friends got £2k, it all depends on when you were born
A YOUNG woman was left gobsmacked after finding out she was owed thousands in FREE money from the government.
Erin Griffiths, from the UK, took to social media to share her hopes she would walk away with £2,000 to pay for a trip to Bali.
And it turns out there are billions of pounds waiting to be claimed.
Why? The UK government started the Child Trust Fund scheme for those born between September 2002 and January 2011 who were given money by the government to save and invest.
Erin said: "Get ready for me to be two grand richer because the government loves me.
"Babe, my mum called me yesterday, she was like, you got £2,000."
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Erin realised she might have cash waiting for her when her friends started turning 18 and getting their money - and the teen was quick to ask her mum about it.
She went on: "I wouldn't have had to go to work and spend my whole work's wages on my driving lessons. As soon as I turned 16, I saved all my money for driving lessons.
"On the upside, I guess the government has paid for my trip to Bali because I have finally been granted permission to go to Bali by myself.
"I'm even more excited now I know it's free."
Over the course of the scheme, over six million trust funds were opened with the government putting in £2 billion.
Many of the trust funds grew interest leading some to get thousands of pounds - but it's not guaranteed.
The reason many have not been collected is because HMRC opened the trust funds without many parents' knowledge - so people are unaware they are sitting on cash.
What is the Child Trust Fund
Children born from September 2002 to January 2011 were given vouchers by the government to invest for the future, with the money only accessible at the age of 18.
Child Trust Funds were set up by the Labour government in the UK to encourage parents to save for their children's future.
Children would get access to the payments when they reached 18 to assist with the cost of living.
The government initially put £250 into the tax-free account during a child's first year, then added another £250 when they reached the age of seven.
For lower-income families, the payment was £500.
Parents, family and friends could also contribute to the account, up to set limits.
The scheme was watered down, then scrapped entirely by the coalition government in January 2011.
One person wrote: "Wait, you need to tell us how we claim this money."
Another commented: "I got £300 and some loose change i don’t know about a whole 2K."
"My son has one but it’s not £2,000 is about £800 am I missing something here?" asked a third.
Meanwhile, a fourth said: "Mine was £2,195, my parents added nothing to it over the years, it was with Foresters Financial."
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"I got £650, I'm fuming!" claimed a fifth.
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