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Is the bank taking your Benefits ?


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I am trying to cope as a carer being ripped off for hundreds by my bank and I seem to be barred from getting a basic bank account with any bank. I've applied with several banks including my own and because of a CCJ I erroniously have - am fighting that - and I am turned down for them - apparently I am barred and was questioned as to whether my driving licence was my own. Feel like I'm being treated as a criminal. :(

 

 

Follow the advice already given ............ but in the meantime open an account with your local CREDIT UNION. Many are now able to offer banking facilities such as DD payments & all a cash card which you can use in ATM's Some even offer larger than normal loans .......... check them out there is no credit check

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hi DD,

Off to the CAB on the 15th,the day the £90 of charges are due to taken from the account(half of my JSA).I have written again to Nationwide asking them not to take the charges as it will seriously affect my ability to meet my current commitments(also gas/electric and food) but have had no response as yet.I have been on the CAB's debt management plan for 3 years and they have been fantastic,I've seen our debts come down,it's a shame that the banks and DCA's will not listen to customers and fob them off everytime.The trouble is when I phone I'm speaking to someone who can't/won't do anything to help.All these companys have departments that deal specifically with calls from the CAB and dept management firms and know they can't fob them off as they do when a customer phones.I'm glad I found CAG,with the advice I've found on here I'm beginning to fight my own battles with these crooks and already have had some success (£1500 ppi refund from Halifax)and getting more confident when taking these crooks on.I'll be the first to hold my hands up and admit that I have handled my finances appallingly but haven't been helped by the attitudes of the banks that just want to bleed me dry.Its a shame I didn't find CAG sooner but I do tell everyone I can what a brilliant site it is.

I'll let you know how i get on.

Edited by greendollar
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Hello Vampyra and welcome.

 

Okay first you really need to get the CRA (Credit Reference Agency) data. It'll be £2 for each of the three CRA's or there are on line free trials. There's more info. on this site to give you further details if you have a search for it. The files must be showing something very serious for the type of replies you mention above. Have you tried the Co-Operative bank for a Basic Cash account - you can call them and open one with a zero balance?

 

Untill you get those CRA reports it's a bit difficult to go much further. One thing is, that if they are showing erroneous data then you can enter disputes about it. From what you say it does seem probable that this has occured.

 

Michael

 

Hi there thanks for the reply.

 

I've done the CRA and I have a CCJ which shows as unpaid when it was and dear old Bryan Carter and Co didn't reply when they were contacted by the Courts about payment. I have written proof it was paid on time and BC&Co say it wasn't.

 

I've sent via email a letter of appropriation to my bank outlining my situation as a Carer and that this money is provided for care for my mother etc. I used Rory's template. Got no reply from them so telephoned and spoke to someone in India who tell me they cannot help me access the funds or remove charges only the branch can. I've asked the branch before about removing charges and they say they cannot and phone a department in India who won't do it either.

 

I will hand deliver a copy of the letter tomorrow as one of my benefits goes in then.

 

I was being hassled to cancel all my direct debits and such and I told the guy he cannot bully or harass me into doing these things with the threat of further charges from returned DD's if I don't cancel them - my DD's are not returned. I also told him the bank had a duty to not cause further financial hardship where hardship already exists.

 

Needless to say this guy who claimed he understood UK law and benefits got so confused he was giving completely illogical answers to my questions and tried cutting me off. When I challenged him about the phone going dead he said the call was going no-where and thus he was just switching the call as he wasn't going to get into trouble by cutting me off "Goodbye". However, he did cut me off in the end.

 

How can people in India working as phone clerks be proficient in the Laws and systems of every individual country in the World?

 

And can you speak to anyone in the UK?

 

"Sorry there are no contact numbers for the UK"

 

*shakes head in disbelief*

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Follow the advice already given ............ but in the meantime open an account with your local CREDIT UNION. Many are now able to offer banking facilities such as DD payments & all a cash card which you can use in ATM's Some even offer larger than normal loans .......... check them out there is no credit check

 

We don't have Credit Unions around here. Just looked on Google and they don't have any in this part of the country as far as I can find.

 

I'd never even heard of them before.

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'Vampyra' ... I'm very surprised why you were asked about the driving licence with a single CCJ. Did you enter a notice of correction to the CRA which you could do on line?

The bank can/will cancel all your D/D's and S/O's eventually if they fail and can normally occur after 6 returns. In fact it might be better to cancel them yourself to avoid further charges. The bank will reply that by suggesting you cancel them is in fact them being helpful - I've had that myself. If you or them decide to cancel D/D's that will mean if there's one for the bank itself then they must include it.

The problem is that charges quicker for the bank to impose than you getting them back through whatever measure. The bank can also close your account having given you notice. I'd go for a try for that Co-Op basic cash account initially. It'll be interesting to see how your bank reply to your letters but if it means 'no funds available' I can imagine them charging you for them.

 

Michael

When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is. (Oscar Wilde)

--I like to be helpful wherever possible however I'm not qualified in this field. I do consider carefully anything important (normally from personal experience) however please understand that any actions taken are at your own risk--

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'Vampyra' ... I'm very surprised why you were asked about the driving licence with a single CCJ. Did you enter a notice of correction to the CRA which you could do on line?

The bank can/will cancel all your D/D's and S/O's eventually if they fail and can normally occur after 6 returns. In fact it might be better to cancel them yourself to avoid further charges. The bank will reply that by suggesting you cancel them is in fact them being helpful - I've had that myself. If you or them decide to cancel D/D's that will mean if there's one for the bank itself then they must include it.

The problem is that charges quicker for the bank to impose than you getting them back through whatever measure. The bank can also close your account having given you notice. I'd go for a try for that Co-Op basic cash account initially. It'll be interesting to see how your bank reply to your letters but if it means 'no funds available' I can imagine them charging you for them.

 

Michael

 

Sorry perhaps I'm not very clear here - but I have kept this account running well for years it's only just getting into a trouble and basically because now of these charges.

 

I can also assure you I was dumbstruck by both mine and another bank telling me I didn't look like my driving licence "Are you really sure that's you?"

 

Whatever occurs, I need a debit card to purchase items for mother's care on the internet. I am not constantly in trouble with them but I currently cannot get out of this mess as I will be left with £70 ish to care for mum and I for next week and bills will come out and this will just escalate and the bank could, if they choose, stop this happening. It's not like they didn't get back the money which was over the limit anyhow.

 

This week I have no money for food now til Monday. I struggle enough with caring and have become quite ill dealing with corrupt banks, social workers and fudged laws all over the place.

 

I think it's criminal to take £133 of money provided for someones care by the Government and to be spoken down to like I'm lower than 3rd World because I am trying to make the finances stretch a long way.

 

Trust me - I do not roll over and accept anything from banks. I would be prepared to make a lot of noise about it. I don't want to be on benefits but I am saving the tax payer millions every year by doing what I do and a little bit of respect should be given to trying to do this. Not being ripped off by unscrupulous banks who have brought this World to recession.

 

*is angry this morning and due to visit the bank soon if I can find enough money to pay for parking!*

 

EDIT: Sorry Michael - with regards the CRA - a notice of correction is of no use here - I need the CCJ removed as it was paid for within the month time limit. Notices of correction are very rarely read anyway.

 

I'll try the Co-Op - thanks. :)

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'Vampyra' - I know the exact feeling only too well. The feeling of telling someone normally 5,000 miles that I have no money only to hear the reply of how much I'm going to pay now. As I've said elsewhere they never tell you what happens when there are problems.

I mention the notice of correction because the CRA will show it and immediately advise their 'client' what has happened. It tends to normally speed them up. The bank then has 28 days to respond to the CRA and then they advise you. The clock starts ticking once you make the comment. If the bank does not get back to the CRA within that period if I recall correctly , the 'questioned' entry will be removed.

Personally I was in the same situation as yourself. The account was operated fine and the money was going in. However in my case once redundancy and the monies from it vanished the problems began (and still do). Respect is not a thing that financial institutions have ever shown - Once there are problems they've effectively wiped their hands of you it would seem.

If I was to cite my only annoyance with a Basic bank account is that they enter data onto CRA's. To me, as basic accounts offer no credit is to the finite legality of this data being processed.

The Co-Op cash account allows you to use a debit card at all Link machines. If you go to LloydsTSB you are restricted to only their machines.

 

Michael

When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is. (Oscar Wilde)

--I like to be helpful wherever possible however I'm not qualified in this field. I do consider carefully anything important (normally from personal experience) however please understand that any actions taken are at your own risk--

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Hi greendollar,

 

Hope all goes well at your meeting.

 

Vampyra, do call FOS. They really have sorted out bcard three times for me. They were very cross about bcard taking the child benefit, and I think your case would be viewed in the same way.

 

I have cancelled almost all my direct debits because of charges if they weren't paid. I just pay by debit card when money comes in. The only exceptions are my various insurance payments.

 

So sorry you are so short of cash for the weekend. Have been there so know exactly how you are feeling. Also about how to get to a meeting when you don't have the cash to park with, and have you even got enough petrol to get you there and back!

 

Hang in there.

 

DDxx

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Had a bit of a result yesterday.

 

Went to my local branch and after a less senior accounts clerk refused to deal with me, (she has tried the banks official line on me before and I've not bought it), the temporary manager from another branch came to see me. She was very helpful and understanding. She was aware of the issues and had received many First Right of Appropriation letters (as per Rory's posting earlier in this thread), at her branch that she allowed me the £68 that went in yesterday and talked through my options. She was aware I have not been going over by huge amounts and also not continuously. She has cancelled next weeks charges but said she was not in a position to do anymore and I had done the right thing sending the letter to the Service Quality Team.

 

She put on notes that we had discussed various options including a consolodation loan, (yes I know, I won't be taking it), but she also advised that the customer would be seeking to put all the DD over to SO's and that apart from the odd glitch, this account, (alough with an overdraught), was not out of order and was running quite smoothly.

 

She even gave me her contact number at her home branch - not too far - in case of any other issues in the future. She suggested if the Service Quality Team did not offer a satisfactory solution to take the matter further.

 

Have I found an ethical manager in the banking sector?

 

No reply to my email as yet. I have made sure all my money is covered from yesterdays date for the future under a Right of Appropriation.

 

Finger's crossed!

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Had a bit of a result yesterday.

 

Went to my local branch and after a less senior accounts clerk refused to deal with me, (she has tried the banks official line on me before and I've not bought it), the temporary manager from another branch came to see me. She was very helpful and understanding. She was aware of the issues and had received many First Right of Appropriation letters (as per Rory's posting earlier in this thread), at her branch that she allowed me the £68 that went in yesterday and talked through my options. She was aware I have not been going over by huge amounts and also not continuously. She has cancelled next weeks charges but said she was not in a position to do anymore and I had done the right thing sending the letter to the Service Quality Team.

 

She put on notes that we had discussed various options including a consolodation loan, (yes I know, I won't be taking it), but she also advised that the customer would be seeking to put all the DD over to SO's and that apart from the odd glitch, this account, (alough with an overdraught), was not out of order and was running quite smoothly.

 

She even gave me her contact number at her home branch - not too far - in case of any other issues in the future. She suggested if the Service Quality Team did not offer a satisfactory solution to take the matter further.

 

Have I found an ethical manager in the banking sector?

 

No reply to my email as yet. I have made sure all my money is covered from yesterdays date for the future under a Right of Appropriation.

 

Finger's crossed!

 

Popped in to read this yesterday. Good result Vampyra :)

 

Have a good weekend and best wishes to you and your mum.

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Yes great news! It just goes to show what can happen if someone listens and understands. At least for now positive however she's only got a little manouverability, as in discretion very short term.

I'm none too sure abut the moving of D/D's to S/O's as both are liable to equal charges if they fail. The problem with that is also that whoever the D/D's are in favour of might present a fine or penalty because they are specifically Direct Debits where they make the call for funds rather than a static amount on a certain date.

The lady Manager who spoke with you will of course have to enter notes about you and her reasons for doing it. When you checked your CRA files did you spot anything untowards in relation to this current account? If not with the CRA you used will probably be with the other one. Whilst banks run around a month in arrears of entering data it'll pprobably be marked in yellow.

Anyhow for now good news! :D

 

Michael

When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is. (Oscar Wilde)

--I like to be helpful wherever possible however I'm not qualified in this field. I do consider carefully anything important (normally from personal experience) however please understand that any actions taken are at your own risk--

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The benefit of standing orders is that you have control of what is paid out of your account and when. With direct debits, whoever it's in favour of can help themselves to as much money as they like, whenever they want.

 

Pleased it went well Vampyra and hope it continues this way.

The Consumer Action Group is a free help site.

Should you be offered help that requires payment please report it to site team.

Advice & opinions given by Caro are personal, are not endorsed by Consumer Action Group or Bank Action Group, and are offered informally, without prejudice & without liability. Your decisions and actions are your own, and should you be in any doubt, you are advised to seek the opinion of a qualified professional.

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The benefit of standing orders is that you have control of what is paid out of your account and when. With direct debits, whoever it's in favour of can help themselves to as much money as they like, whenever they want.

 

Pleased it went well Vampyra and hope it continues this way.

 

 

I agree although services like BT and utility companies plus Council Tax and Water Rates expect that if you make monthly payments then these are by Direct Debit. For example unless you pay by D/D BT will charge an extra £2.50 per month. Financial service loans tend to be the same and may even charge penalties for not complying. Same for my Orange phone who until I restarted a D/D added and extra £1.50 a month charge.

 

I can recall the HSBC woes when they cancelled all my D/D's but (wrongly) did not delete their own. Can you imagine the conversation to the man in India when I explained that if they cancel one then they must cancel them all under the Direct Debit guarantee. Put it this way, he did not have a trained or scripted responce for it. That then reminds me of the 'auto dialler' (amazingly) no longer calling because I really think they'd had enough of me. LOL To quote, 'I have no money', reply from man in India (or Malysia or The Phillipines!), 'So how much will you be able to pay today sir?'

 

Michael

When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is. (Oscar Wilde)

--I like to be helpful wherever possible however I'm not qualified in this field. I do consider carefully anything important (normally from personal experience) however please understand that any actions taken are at your own risk--

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I agree with your point about companies like BT, but this is an issue under scrutiny by OFCOM so if I think anyone affected by this should be complaining. The links in this post explain this further.

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/telecoms-mobile-fixed/74802-penalties-not-paying-direct-15.html#post2477411

Council tax and water rates can be paid by standing order - or at least they can in my area.

 

This is Bookie's take on DD's.

 

Debt:

 

We know how hard it is, when you feel that there is no stopping the flow, the banks are relentless. They bounce a direct debit, charge you for it, then the money you had coming in is swallowed up by the charges, and more payments bounce. And there's so many charges that you can never catch up, and you are sinking further into debt. Sounds familiar?

 

There are however steps to make it stop, at least temporarily, and start regaining control.

 

First of all, you should have another account. Then, cancel your direct debits on your existing account. But don't start new d/d on your other account. D/d give them the right to help themselves to your money, however much they want, when they want, it gives them all the power, and you none of the advantage.

 

Before you do all that follows, make sure that your incoming money gets transferred to your new bank from now on. If it's benefits, tell DWP asap. If it's wages, tell your payroll people asap.

 

Set up Standing Orders instead. They work in the same way, except that you call the shots. YOU say when, YOU say how much. Combined with Internet Banking, s/o are the most powerful way to get control of your finances, IMO.

 

Then, this is what you need to do, if you haven't yet. You need an accounts book, just a plain old lined A4 Poundland jobbie will do. From now on, it will be your bible. ;-)

 

I am going to work on the assumption that you have Internet Banking, if you don't, set it up asap, on both accounts.

 

Either way, you need to get a bill for every one of your d/ds. Some companies are already clued on the internet thing and at the back, will give you the details on how to set up online payments. Those who don't, you'll need the payment slip, it has a sort code and an account number, that's what you need to set up online payment, with your own reference number. Sort out the amounts and dates so that they coincide with your incoming money, paying attention to due dates on credit cards and so on.

 

Some companies say they only do D/D and can't accept a S/O. Find a bill and do a S/O anyway - if it's a new product and they'll only accept a DD or they won't give you the product without DD, set it up to get the product, then cancel it and turn it to a S/O*.

 

*WARNING: Some companies charge you a fee for not paying by D/D. These can, and have been, successfully challenged and paid back (see in the Telecoms forum), but you have to weigh up the pros and cons in this instance. However, remember that "saving" £5 a month by paying by D/D could end up costing you £30 + if it takes you over your limit, or pays itself before your money clears in your account.

 

The Consumer Action Group is a free help site.

Should you be offered help that requires payment please report it to site team.

Advice & opinions given by Caro are personal, are not endorsed by Consumer Action Group or Bank Action Group, and are offered informally, without prejudice & without liability. Your decisions and actions are your own, and should you be in any doubt, you are advised to seek the opinion of a qualified professional.

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I agree with your point about companies like BT, but this is an issue under scrutiny by OFCOM so if I think anyone affected by this should be complaining. The links in this post explain this further.

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/telecoms-mobile-fixed/74802-penalties-not-paying-direct-15.html#post2477411

 

Council tax and water rates can be paid by standing order - or at least they can in my area.

 

This is Bookie's take on DD's.

 

Yes I've looked regarding Ofcom and even verbally made my point to both BT (who hide behind the regulator) and Ofcom directly. I suspect that Ofcom do not want to open up the can of worms which would end up cascading through and into the whole financial sector. Maybe I could suggest a thread where we can show the effects of paying by D/D or not and the relevant additional charges. In fact with 'home phone' suppliers it's only BT that allow payments other than D/D. There again (as an example) 'Call Divert' can cost £2.50 a month from BT and 56p from another operator. Mobile phone companies for contract phones generally levy charges on payments other than D/D. As you said 'do not hold your breath' and that thread kind of confirms my comments.

In the end this is all about charges. Little bits of, as I call them 'stealth levies' that companies have to (they would say) cover costs. It'll be another long and hard fight to have them abolished or revised as they'll probably say they are comparitively small considering the extra work involved doing this manually.

 

Michael

When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is. (Oscar Wilde)

--I like to be helpful wherever possible however I'm not qualified in this field. I do consider carefully anything important (normally from personal experience) however please understand that any actions taken are at your own risk--

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In fact with 'home phone' suppliers it's only BT that allow payments other than D/D. Michael

 

 

Wrong.

 

I pay for my Virgin Media bill by standing order for both phone and broadband.

 

Well the last payment to VM for phone will go out next week as i am cancelling the phone but i still pay it and yes i get a Handling fee of £5.00 but i still pay by SO.

 

Caro we can also pay by standing order or even payment book /card here for both our water companys.

 

Also there is a argument in regards to standing order as they are done by the BACS system why do companys still say they have to handle the payment?

OFT debt collection guidance

 

Please remember the only stupid question is the one you dont ask so dont worry about asking the stupid questions.

 

Essex girl in pc world looking 4 curtains 4 her pc,the assistant says u dont need curtains 4 a computer!!Essex girl says,''HELLOOO!! i,ve got WINDOWS!!'.

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'The Godmother' ... Did not know about Virgin I must admit, however although in London but not in a cable area, never looked at them further. £5 is quite (/very) steep extra per month though. I do pay water and council tax by simple online payment from the bank account.

 

Companies like D/D's because they are variable, totally automated and only when one fails do they need human intervention. S/O's are okay if it's a simple payment of the same amount (that's really the problem) however it's not as easily automated for a company receiving it. The other difference of course is that they are not in control of the payments.

 

The argument is that things that require human intervention are costly because someone has to manually handle it. Gone are the days when there was nothing else but using the Post Office or cash payments or even cheques. Maybe computerised systems are not that good but alas it's the humans who designed them in the first place. Enter 'irobot' stage right to solve it all. :rolleyes:

 

Michael

When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is. (Oscar Wilde)

--I like to be helpful wherever possible however I'm not qualified in this field. I do consider carefully anything important (normally from personal experience) however please understand that any actions taken are at your own risk--

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Yes but standing orders and DDs dont require any form of human intervention unless it goes wrongwhich it never should.

OFT debt collection guidance

 

Please remember the only stupid question is the one you dont ask so dont worry about asking the stupid questions.

 

Essex girl in pc world looking 4 curtains 4 her pc,the assistant says u dont need curtains 4 a computer!!Essex girl says,''HELLOOO!! i,ve got WINDOWS!!'.

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Yes but standing orders and DDs dont require any form of human intervention unless it goes wrongwhich it never should.

 

Well S/O's do but only a little bit more than a D/D. The only differences are that one is fixed (the S/O) and you alone control it versus the other that whilst you have control is variable (with advance notice) by the person you are paying.

 

Anyhow I think the real thing is that both will incur the new look (but the same) unwarranted bank default charges if either fail. If there's a serious problem about making a payment on a due date then simply do not have any at all - Says he (i.e. me) who also learnt the hard way. Strange how you no longer get the nice and friendly bank staff when there's a problem.

 

I guess the art is to not go overdrawn when you have no agreement. If you do have an agreement then make sure you know what the charges are going to be. After all nothing is free in this world no matter how it's presented to you. BOGOF offers are erm not free either. LOL

 

Michael

When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is. (Oscar Wilde)

--I like to be helpful wherever possible however I'm not qualified in this field. I do consider carefully anything important (normally from personal experience) however please understand that any actions taken are at your own risk--

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This is why all mine are SO and i am in control if iam stretched a bit one week i transfer it to the next. All my bills are paid up in lump sum payments and in as few payments as possible, between both water bills 5 payments have been made and all paid off now. water bill 1 for sewerage was £200+ water bill 2 was £200 and summing so one week i paid 3100 to bill one then 2nd week £100 to bill one then following week £100 to bill 2 then again £100 to bill 2 then the rest towards both bills.

OFT debt collection guidance

 

Please remember the only stupid question is the one you dont ask so dont worry about asking the stupid questions.

 

Essex girl in pc world looking 4 curtains 4 her pc,the assistant says u dont need curtains 4 a computer!!Essex girl says,''HELLOOO!! i,ve got WINDOWS!!'.

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