The majority of major banks have adapted their services to online. A summary of the options available can be seen below:
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Bank of Scotland
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0345 721 3141
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New Service for over 70s, vulnerable and NHS workers to offer support to those who need it most |
| Explaining to people they can ask a third-party to visit a branch for them with ID such as a passport or driving license (further details below). Telephone banking and ATM withdrawals also available. | ||
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Barclays
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03457 345 345
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Directing resource to support phones lines. In-branch teams are also supporting this activity. |
| For those who are isolating and require cash, there is a cash delivery service. The cost of this will be covered by Barclays. Telephone banking and ATM cash withdrawals still available. | ||
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Co-operative Bank
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03457 212 212
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Reviewing branch and telephone opening hours to ensure it can serve customers who need to use banking services. |
| Working to identify customers who don’t bank digitally and explaining options available to them. Will tell them how they will continue to serve them and help them to understand options for support and access to funds. Telephone banking available. | ||
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Halifax
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0345 720 3040
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New service for over 70s, vulnerable and NHS workers to offer support to those who need it most |
| Explaining to people they can ask a third-party to visit a branch for them with ID such as a passport or driving license (further details below). Telephone banking and ATM withdrawals also available. | ||
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HSBC
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03457 404 404
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Vulnerable customers who contact the bank may be referred to a specialist support team |
| Working with customers to look at other solutions such as ordering debit cards, third-party access (more details below), help on managing budgets and setting up remote access for vulnerable customers if required. Also offering texting services. Telephone banking and ATM withdrawals available. | ||
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Lloyds Bank
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0345 072 5555
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New service for over-70s, vulnerable and NHS workers to offer support to those who need it most. |
| Explaining to people they can ask a third-party to visit a branch for them with ID such as a passport or driving license (further details below). Telephone banking and ATM withdrawals also available. | ||
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Metro Bank
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0345 08 08 500
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Customer-support trained staff are being asked to offer support on helplines. The bank is looking at opportunities to train up existing colleagues. It’s also recruiting to increase the number of helpline staff. Its helpline is available Monday to Friday from 8am to 9 am for vulnerabble customers and over 70s only. |
| Encouraging people to contact them via telephone if they can’t self-serve online. Providing additional support and information for those who want to try mobile banking for the first time. Customers who have fixed-term saving maturities coming up will be able to reinvest (if they so choose to) over the phone rather than having to come into store. | ||
| Monzo | 0800 023 4567 | Continuing to offer support via the telephone 24 hours a day, seven days a week |
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Nationwide
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0800 30 20 11
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Deploying additional resource to help with the increased demand, while hundreds of staff have volunteered to support customers. in the process of setting up dedicated coronavirus helpline |
| Finding alternative ways of banking for vulnerable customers and will introduce additional support as and when it can. It will continue to update its coronavirus page with relevant support solutions. Telephone banking also available. | ||
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NatWest
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0800 051 4176
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Dedicated support line for customers over 70 or those in isolation, and a separate service for NHS workers |
| Cash delivery service for vulnerable customers and NHS staff. Money can be delivered to home address, and up to £500 available. Mobile, telephone banking and ATM cash withdrawals also available. | ||
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RBS
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0800 051 4177
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Dedicated support line for customers over 70 or those in isolation, and a separate service for NHS workers |
| Cash delivery service for vulnerable customers and NHS staff. Money can be delivered to home address, and up to £500 available. Mobile, telephone banking and ATM cash withdrawals also available. | ||
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Santander
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0800 9 123 123
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Has redeployed a number of staff to support its contact centre team and will continue to do so to meet consumer demand |
| Telephone banking, third-party withdrawals (further details below) and ATM withdrawals. | ||
| Starling Bank | Launched a new ‘connected card’, an additional debit card you can give to anyone you trust, so they can spend on your behalf without cash, human contact or bank details. Money comes out of a designated space you can set aside rather than your main account and it’s capped at £200. | |
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TSB
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03459 758 758
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Using some in-branch staff to help on phones and moving resource around to help the frontline |
| Telephone banking/ATM cash withdrawals available, may be able to ask someone to visit a branch on a person’s behalf. Customers can ‘chat’ live online with TSB staff for the first time. More than 250 TSB staff will initially serve customers through Smart Agent, most working from home to give immediate banking access on its site. Will free up staff across branches and contact centres to support vulnerable customers and those that need essential services. | ||
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Ulster NI
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0800 092 4238
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Dedicated support line for customers over 70 or those in isolation, and a separate service for NHS workers. |
| Cash delivery service for vulnerable customers and NHS staff. Money can be delivered to home address, and up to £500 available. Mobile, telephone banking and ATM cash withdrawals also available. |
Some banks are also offering a service known as “Fast Pace”. The bank account holder writes a cheque and then writes the name of the trusted person on the back of the cheque. The trusted person present’s the cheque at the post office with Photo ID and receives the money. Current HSBC are offering this.
There is also another service known as “Pay out now”. The bank account holder requests for someone to receive money on their behalf – the bank sends a bar code via text, email or post and the recipient can use this to present at the Post office to receive cash. Currently Santander are offering this.
The Post Office has launched a cash delivery service to help vulnerable customers, with the help of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Thousands of vulnerable people in England who are shielding at home and receive benefits such as pensions will be able to have cash payments delivered directly to them. The Post Office has repurposed part of its foreign exchange cash delivery business to enable the overnight delivery of cash and meet the demand for the initiative.
Sainsbury’s are offering a gift card scheme, whereby the offer a service that allows people to send an e-card voucher to a friend, family or volunteer shopper to collect their in store. https://sainsburysgiftcard.co.uk/
More information can be found at: https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/04/how-banks-are-helping-vulnerable-customers-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/