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Existing customers

• Access your benefits
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Help and guides

• Guide to bank accounts
• Common questions
• Help with financial difficulty

Rates and charges

• Rates and charges
• Overdraft charges update

Useful information

• Dedicated switching team
• Ways to bank with us
• Debit cards
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• Terms and conditions

What is financial difficulty?

Financial difficulty is when your income is insufficient to cover reasonable living expenses and meet financial commitments as they become due.

People find themselves in financial difficulty for many reasons. It can be caused by a life change like losing a job, going through a divorce, or simply not being able to manage money effectively. We are here to support you if you are in financial difficulty to help you resolve your situation.

Who do I contact if I think I am in financial difficulty?

If you believe that you are experiencing, or will experience, financial difficulties, it is important that you get in touch with us as soon as possible.

You can contact your nearest branch to speak to one of our branch staff who can arrange a free review at a time that suits you. Remember, many branches are now open on a Saturday. If you prefer you could get in touch with our telephone banking team. If you are a Private Banking customer please contact your Relationship Manager.

What will happen to me if I am in financial difficulty?

As we say in our Customer Charter we are committed to helping when you need us. We will work with you to get a clear understanding of your full financial position. This will help us to decide together on the best way to help you. There might be savings and changes to your current banking that you can make straight away. We can help by:

• Offering services to help you manage your finances more effectively such as alerts when your balance falls below a specific amount – please click here to find out more about and sign up for mobile phone banking
• Reviewing the products you have with us to make sure that they are appropriate and still fulfil your banking needs, for instance:
• Changing your account to one which does not allow you to go overdrawn
• Reviewing automated transactions e.g. direct debits and standing orders on your account
• Returning and cancelling your cheque books

As a result of our review and depending on your specific circumstances we may also identify options to provide additional support, including:

• Where possible, agreeing a manageable repayment plan which you can afford, to help get your finances back on track
• Reviewing charges applied to your account including, in some cases, stopping future charges for a period of time where appropriate to your individual circumstances
• Providing you with contact details for organisations which can give you independent money advice for free

How can I avoid incurring unarranged overdraft charges?

We have a guide (PDF, 157KB) on avoiding charges that provides a number of helpful suggestions.

Can you help me manage my finances better?

You can visit our MoneySense website where you will find a budgeting tool and other impartial tips on how to manage your money.

There are independent organisations that also provide free advice and support on your financial needs such as Citizens Advice Bureau, Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS), National Debtline and PayPlan. Details of how you can contact these organisations and other sources of free advice can be found on the Money Advice Service.