I'm confused....

[Jase1982]

Hi all,

Little help required regarding NatWest taking my JSA benefits. Recently they charged my account £120 in 3 weeks. The first thing I did was go to the CAG forum and I came across the following template letter:

letter to get charges back when on benefits

I sent them this letter genuinely thinking I was covered. 3 days after I sent the above letter I discovered the sticky thread entitled,
'Social Security Administration Act and Tax Credits Act ' which, as I am sure is known and understood, states that by 'charges', bank charges are not what is meant and therefor not covered....

As I thought, I today received a standard letter from NatWest outlining where the OFT V Banks test case is currently at, how long it will take and that they are logging my complaint. It is obvious they had not read my letter because the Social Security act was not mentioned.

So.....Can I use the Social Security Act to reclaim my JSA or not? ....if not, which is pretty much where I'm at....How do I stand with regards to the test case? Should I still continue with a claim? wait until the test case is completed? If, in my case, a response should be issued, what response should I send them?

Thanks in advance.

[steven4064]

Hi jase

I don't think you can. I believe bank charges to be unlawful but under the Unfair Terms in Consuer Contracts Regulations 1999 not the Social Security Administration Act.

UNfortunately, the OFT test case is still going on which means that claims under teh UTCCR 1999 are on hold.

What you should do is to opoen a basic account at another bank and have your benefits paid in there so that NatWest can't get their greedy hands on them.

[Jase1982]

cheers, I've opened a parachute account through the Halifax.

Surely the letter to get charges back whilst on benefit should be removed from this site then??

Should I continue with the LBA etc etc? or wait until the test cast is complete?

NatWest might have a change of heart and give my money back to me!

[steven4064]

Send the LBA and then wait.

I'll look into revising/removing the letter.

[Jase1982]

cool. that's what I'm doing now. I'm modifying an LBA to express the extreme hardship I'm suffering and "requesting" that they deal with my claim outside of the current bank charges test case....we'll see what they say.

also, there is a sticky thread in the general debt forum...

Is the bank taking your Benefits ?

Slightly misleading until you read the very last post. For anyone like me who reads from the beginning, it would appear that it is completely illegal for any bank to take a sum of money directly from a state beneft....