Bank Charges Financial Hardship Disussion

natweststaffmember

alandimi wrote: »

i don't have any arrears.....yet. But if I don't do something about my finances I will. And I am just extremely worried about more charges, arrears and consequently bad credit rating etc. Thankfully my rent and most of my council tax are paid by the council but I have a credit card (paying min amount), a maxed out £1,500 overdraft with lloyds (which I dread them asking me to pay off as i haven't touched it for 2 years) and about £50 left on my overdraft HSBC account. I'm claiming all I can in benefits and the bank agree it doesn't cover my bills but they seem to think that paying the £32 I'm short each month (but only for 3 months) will make a difference but it won't. I've not had any bank charges for 2 years as i have been really careful (I was on maternity allowance but have now been on income support for 3 months).

As pointed out by someone to me as I asked them to take a look, this is gonna be the biggest stumbling block because on the face of it, you are struggling but not as such in financial hardship and I missed this bit initially.
I think they are going to decline it on the basis of what is in bold unfortunately.

RedRose1_2

Hi natweststaffmember, thank for your reply to me!

We are in arrears on our Gas and Electric at the moment (I sent a copy of the lastest bill to NatWest with my last letter as proof). We are not in other arrears as yet although hubby and I have both had charges applied to our accounts (with lloyds) recently due to having to try and sort out the NatWest account. Again, paperwork was sent to NatWest to demonstrate this.
After filling in all the papaerwork that NatWest sent us, this shows that we are about -£337 per month, even after both our salaries.

natweststaffmember

RedRose1 wrote: »

Hi natweststaffmember, thank for your reply to me!

We are in arrears on our Gas and Electric at the moment (I sent a copy of the lastest bill to NatWest with my last letter as proof). We are not in other arrears as yet although hubby and I have both had charges applied to our accounts (with lloyds) recently due to having to try and sort out the NatWest account. Again, paperwork was sent to NatWest to demonstrate this.
After filling in all the papaerwork that NatWest sent us, this shows that we are about -£337 per month, even after both our salaries.

are you using the NatWest account? Are you still incurring charges? Is this the account the priority debt arrears are being paid from?

RedRose1_2

natweststaffmember wrote: »

are you using the NatWest account? Are you still incurring charges? Is this the account the priority debt arrears are being paid from?

No it's not - my hubby opened a new account with Lloyds after trying to discuss our problems with NatWest and them having no interest whatsoever. NatWest are already aware that he has done this and only has his account with them as he has a bank loan with them.
He ahs spoken to NatWest numerous times on the phone (before we tried to reclaim) to try and explain our struggle but they said that there was nothing they can do and kept applying charges anyway.
The NatWest account is still open as he has a bank loan with them so we pay the loan payment amount in to the account each month.

natweststaffmember

RedRose1 wrote: »

No it's not - my hubby opened a new account with Lloyds after trying to discuss our problems with NatWest and them having no interest whatsoever. NatWest are already aware that he has done this and only has his account with them as he has a bank loan with them.
He ahs spoken to NatWest numerous times on the phone (before we tried to reclaim) to try and explain our struggle but they said that there was nothing they can do and kept applying charges anyway.
The NatWest account is still open as he has a bank loan with them so we pay the loan payment amount in to the account each month.

Is it incurring interest charges now? Or is the amount being transferred over not enough to cover the amount going out?(I am kinda doing the same so I do understand what you mean re the loan and natwest).

NatWest will say no on the financial hardship but are there similar claims with Lloyds that you have?

RedRose1_2

natweststaffmember wrote: »

Is it incurring interest charges now? Or is the amount being transferred over not enough to cover the amount going out?(I am kinda doing the same so I do understand what you mean re the loan and natwest).

NatWest will say no on the financial hardship but are there similar claims with Lloyds that you have?

It incurred charges last week as they tried to take some money out - they shouldn't have done this and agreed to refund £38 as a 'good will gesture' as they were clearly in the wrong. But it means that the account is still over now by about £36.00.
I don't think it has incurred any other charges since the end of June as we borrowed money to get it all in the black again. Prior to this, it was incurring charges each month as they refused to change the date that the loan payment was being taken out.
We don't have any claims with Lloyds at the minute as we've only incurred a couple of small charges I believe.

Do you mind me asking why you think NatWest will say no to financial hardship?
When my other half has spoken to them, they have said that they can see that he's struggling but said there was nothing they would do to help.
I should add that with this £36 extra there, the account will remain over drawn by this amount until we can get it cleared, which sad as it sounds, we cannot afford to do at the moment.

natweststaffmember

Yes, its not your main account now which means that currently with money going into the lloydstsb account they could say that you do not meet the hardship criteria. However, without seeing an I&E form it would be impossible for me to say that.

spacetraveller

Hi, I'm looking for some advice please. I have received a refund of charges under hardship. This money has already been refunded to me. I have logged into online banking today to see that NATWEST have taken further charges of £171.00. My letter dated 18th June from Glasgow confirmed that i was in financial hardship and to return my maestro card. In this letter it also stated "Until the result of the charges test case is known we can confirm that no further charges or interest will be applied to your account". I have just tried to speak to Natwest collections, (for 40 mins), which is where my phone call was directed, and they said that they cannot help me, but neither did they know who could!:mad: So frustrated. Their advice was to go to the branch. This is an inconvenience. Where do i stand having these charges refunded immediately and who will be able to do this? Shame natwest collections are not as helpful and in the know as those in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Advice appreciated as feel like i'm going to EXPLODE!!!!!

spacetraveller

Oh forgot to add that woman at collections advised i made a payment of £50 to show that i was willing to resolve it....RESOLVE WHAT?? What exactly did she want me to pay £50 for? I had to tell her that my account was in credit...her reply "oh yeah"....who are these morons?

natweststaffmember

spacetraveller wrote: »

Hi, I'm looking for some advice please. I have received a refund of charges under hardship. This money has already been refunded to me. I have logged into online banking today to see that NATWEST have taken further charges of £171.00. My letter dated 18th June from Glasgow confirmed that i was in financial hardship and to return my maestro card. In this letter it also stated "Until the result of the charges test case is known we can confirm that no further charges or interest will be applied to your account". I have just tried to speak to Natwest collections, (for 40 mins), which is where my phone call was directed, and they said that they cannot help me, but neither did they know who could!:mad: So frustrated. Their advice was to go to the branch. This is an inconvenience. Where do i stand having these charges refunded immediately and who will be able to do this? Shame natwest collections are not as helpful and in the know as those in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Advice appreciated as feel like i'm going to EXPLODE!!!!!

Call them tomorrow since the hardship teams will be open and simply explain that you have signed a financial hardship settlement which states no further charges or interest will be added to the account and yet £171.00 is scheduled/has gone out. They should be able to cancel it.

What I would say is that there is nothing you can do TONIGHT so don't get up a head of steam unnnecessarily. Do you have the telephone number to call tomorrow?
There might be one on the offer letter sent?