9 UK Banks Agree Easier Basic Account Access After FCA Flags 34% Poor Service
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 6
9 UK Banks Agree Easier Basic Account Access After FCA Flags 34% Poor Service
2 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 6
Summary
Nine UK banks and building societies agreed to FCA demands to make basic bank accounts easier to open for vulnerable customers, including people without standard ID or a fixed address.
A 298-interaction FCA mystery shopping exercise found 34% of experiences were poor or very poor, with banks often failing to offer basic accounts or steering vulnerable people toward unsuitable online applications.
The lenders pledged to get customers into the right account first time and provide alternatives to online-only applications, addressing barriers that had excluded homeless people and those in financial hardship.
More than 4 million people in the UK hold basic bank accounts, which allow wages, benefits and bill payments but do not offer overdrafts, making them a key tool for financial inclusion.