Nothing makes you more aware of the passage of time than a child who’s a little taller each time you see them.
Having kids in your life is a blessing, and contributing towards their nest egg can be a great way to secure their financial future. That’s one reason why Junior ISAs (or JISAs) are so popular when giving a child a practical, long-term gift.
Whether you choose a Junior Cash ISA or a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA (or both), you can contribute up to £9,000 a year per child, completely free from tax.
Still, you may be wondering who can pay into a Junior ISA.
Is it just parents, or can grandparents, friends, and even the child themselves contribute, too? And how much can they add?
Thankfully, we’ll be covering all this and more.
- Who can pay into a Junior ISA
- How much can you pay into a Junior ISA?
- Can you have more than one Junior ISA?
- What is the minimum contribution for a Junior ISA?
- Do you get tax relief on Junior ISA contributions?
- Contributing to a Junior ISA with Wealthify
- Setting up a Junior ISA
Who can pay into a Junior ISA?
While only a parent or legal guardian can open and manage a Junior ISA, anyone can pay into one. This is providing, of course, that they have the relevant JISA account details and are a UK tax resident over the age of 18.
So, the short answer to the question “can anyone pay into a junior ISA?” is yes.
Whether it’s grandparents, aunts and uncles, family friends, godparents, or even just friendly neighbours, anyone – regardless of relation – is welcome to contribute.
This flexibility is what makes Junior ISAs a brilliant option for those looking to give a meaningful, lasting present on special occasions like birthdays or Christmas. Instead of a short-lived favourite toy or the latest game, loved ones can give a gift that grows with the child — with any returns on that money being tax-free.
And yes, even the child themselves can pay into their own Junior ISA. This is dependent, however, on them having their own bank account.
In most instances, a child can open a personal bank account from the age of 11. With this, they can then contribute to their own JISA and learn about the value of saving early. As a result, this could help them adapt positive financial habits which will serve them into adulthood (and hopefully be well-established by the time they access their JISA money).
The annual Junior ISA allowance for the 2025/26 tax year is £9,000.
It’s important to remember that this is a combined limit across both types of JISAs (Cash JISAs and Stocks and Shares JISAs). [1]
So, if multiple people want to contribute, it may be worth coordinating ahead of time to avoid exceeding this allowance.
Inviting friends or family to contribute to your child’s Wealthify JISA is easy; just head over to our Junior ISA contributors page for all the details.
How much can you pay into a Junior ISA?
The tax benefits of a Junior ISA are a big motivator for many parents when first setting up an account for their child.
Still, it’s important to remember that you are not allowed to exceed the £9,000 allowance set for the 2025/2026 tax year. Plus, contributions from non-account owners still count towards this total, meaning coordination is key.
So, how much can you put in a Junior ISA overall?
Well, £9,000 is a combined total; even if you split contributions across different JISA types, your total is still capped.
If your child has both a Junior Cash ISA and a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA, you’re free to split the allowance between the two in any way you like.
For example, you could pay £6,000 into a Stocks and Shares JISA and £3,000 in a Cash JISA (or vice versa). But whatever you do, the total contributions across these accounts mustn’t exceed the £9,000 annual limit.
As discussed, anyone can contribute, but it remains the registered account holder’s responsibility (the parent or legal guardian) to ensure the allowance isn’t surpassed.
So, if multiple people are planning to contribute throughout the year – especially around birthdays or Christmas – it’s a good idea to ask those contributing to inform you of how much they plan to gift first.
Fortunately, Junior ISA contribution limits are entirely separate from a parent or guardian’s own personal ISA allowance. This means your (or anyone else’s) contributions to a child’s JISA won’t affect your personal annual ISA limits, giving you even more room to save tax-efficiently within one family.
Don’t forget the tax year runs from 6th April to 5th April, with contributions needing to be made before that April deadline to count for that year (any unused allowance doesn’t carry over, but resets at the start of a new financial year).
Can you have more than one Junior ISA?
A child can have one more than one Junior ISA, but with one important caveat: it must be one of each type — one Junior Cash ISA and one Junior Stocks and Shares ISA. This allows families to take advantage of both saving and investing options to help grow their child’s nest egg.
However, they can’t have two JISAs of the same type.
So, for example, if your child already has a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA, you won’t be able to open another Junior Stocks and Shares ISA with a new provider. The same logic applies in reverse, too.
This is where the annual Junior ISA allowance becomes especially important.
What is the minimum contribution for a Junior ISA?
When it comes to contributing to a Junior ISA, there’s not a one-size-fits-all in terms of how much you should pay in.
While some JISA providers will set minimum contributions at £10, others may set them as low as 1p. For example, if you choose to open a Junior ISA with Wealthify, you can get started with just £1.
This flexibility means families can begin funding their child’s future even with small amounts, gradually building up the total over time.
Of course, while the minimum contribution may be low, the total you can pay in is still capped by the overall JISA allowance limit.
Whether you’re planning to make regular payments or occasional top-ups, be sure to check the minimum contribution rules of your chosen provider. Likewise, don’t forget to keep an eye on your remaining allowance for the tax year and plan accordingly.
Do you get tax relief on Junior ISA contributions?
Saving or investing for your child using a Junior ISA comes with the added benefit of tax-free returns, meaning:
- You don’t pay income tax on interest earned in a Junior Cash ISA.
- You don’t pay capital gains tax or dividend tax on any returns from a Junior Stocks and Shares ISA.
Unlike pensions, you don’t receive tax relief on contributions to a Junior ISA. Instead, the tax advantage comes from the ISA wrapper itself.
So, while you won’t get any additional tax relief on the money you put in, you also won’t be taxed on the contributions you make (as long as you stay within the annual JISA allowance).
This allowance applies per child and can be split between a Cash JISA and a Stocks and Shares JISA in any proportion.
Contributing to a Junior ISA with Wealthify
At Wealthify, we’ve made it easy for parents, family, and friends to contribute in just a few simple steps:
1. Create a Junior ISA Plan
First things first, the child’s parent or legal guardian needs to open a Junior ISA with Wealthify, which only takes a few minutes.
2. Invite friends and family to contribute
Once the JISA is set up, the parent or guardian can log into their Wealthify account and send invites to anyone they’d like to contribute.
3. Contributors set up their accounts
Invited contributors will receive a secure link to create their Wealthify contributor account. If they already have an account with Wealthify, they can skip this step. They’ll go through a quick verification process via SMS or a PIN from the parent, then they’re good to go!
4. Make one-off or regular contributions
Once verified, contributors can start investing directly through a one-off payment, or by setting up a Direct Debit for regular contributions.
Contributors can even add a personal message with each payment.
It’s important to note, too, that contributors can see how much they’ve added and how much of the £9,000 annual JISA allowance is left. They won’t, however, see any sensitive account information, with everything remaining private and secure.
There are no extra fees for contributors, meaning every penny goes towards the child’s fund.
Want to start inviting contributors?
Head over to our Junior ISA Contributors page to learn more and get started today.
Setting up a Junior ISA
Before you open a Junior ISA, it’s important to make sure your child is eligible. To open a JISA, your child must:
- Be under the age of 18.
- Be born on or after 3rd January 2011, or not have a Child Trust Fund (CTF).
- Be a UK resident (or the child of a Crown servant working overseas).
Only a parent or legal guardian can open a Junior ISA, and they’ll become the account registered contact. However, once the account is up and running, anyone is welcome to contribute.
Opening a JISA with Wealthify couldn’t be easier.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or transferring an existing Child Trust Fund, Wealthify makes it simple to take the next step. Visit our Junior Stocks and Shares ISA page to get started and help set your child up for a brighter financial future.
Your tax treatment will depend on your individual circumstances, and it may be subject to change in the future.
Please remember the value of your investments can go down as well as up, and you could get back less than invested.
Wealthify does not provide financial advice. Please seek financial advice if you are unsure about investing.
References
[1] Junior Individual Savings Accounts (ISA): Overview - GOV.UK
