Savings (Government Contributions) Act 2017

Opening a Help-to-Save account

11 (1) A Help-to-Save account may be opened for an individual if—

(a) an application to open the account is made in accordance with regulations under sub-paragraph (2),

(b) the individual is an eligible person on the eligibility reference dates, and

(c) no Help-to-Save account has previously been opened for the individual.

(2) Treasury regulations may make provision about applications to open a Help-to-Save account, including (in particular)—

(a) provision about the form and manner in which applications may be made;

(b) provision specifying, or enabling HMRC to specify, information which applicants must provide and the persons to whom it must be provided;

(c) provision requiring an application to be made by the individual for whom the account is to be opened;

(d) exceptions to provision under paragraph (c).

(3) Treasury regulations may—

(a) specify circumstances in which an account provider must refuse to open a Help-to-Save account for an individual;

(b) make provision requiring that a Help-to-Save account is to be held by the individual for whom the account is opened and that functions as the holder of the account are to be carried out by the individual;

(c) make provision for exceptions to provision under paragraph (b);

(d) make provision for exceptions to sub-paragraph (1)(c).

(4) Where a contract is entered into by an individual who is 16 or 17 years old in connection with a Help-to-Save account opened for the individual, the contract has effect as if the individual had been 18 or over when it was entered into.