Bank Charges Financial Hardship Disussion

natweststaffmember

Eknight wrote: »

I'm new on here so hope I'm doing it right! I also made a claim in 2007 before the test case was announced . barclays delayed responding to me by about six weeks (the requeted turnaround was the standard 30 days) so that they could then say I applied too late and now have to wait for the test case.

I have a debt management plan with Payplan and still in financial hardship. Does anyone know whether this is something Payplan can help with or whether I just need to send a copy of my income / expenditure etc.

Looks like I might as well prepare to contact the FOS anyways. Good luck guys

You need to contact the bank firstly to ask for the charges back under financial hardship with an income and expenditure form, notices of arrears, schedule of the charges you are reclaiming and a letter asking them to treat your case as financial hardship. If you have not incurred charges since 2007 then do not expect them to offer you anything. Financial hardship is about your current situation.

Barbs49

Hi

I am new here but have followed all the information Martin sends out in his weekly emails. Then I spotted the article about hardship claiming .
I was having severe problems with my Barclays account, a Premier account with an overdraft tied to my house. I have been customer since 1970! I had lots of attempted conversations with my relationship manager. Then I spotted the article and wrote claiming just under £3K back and claiming hardship since I am now on benefits and my health is deteriorating.

Within 2 weeks I had reply giving me, as a gesture of goodwill, an interim payment of £1700+ which was already in my account when I got the letter. This took me below my overdaraft limit and I breathed more easily for a couple of months. Should the banks lose, this interim payment will be deducted from my claim.

I cannot explain why this succeeded, I am just grateful it did. Maybe because I ahd been in dialogue, unsuccessfully. Maybe because I was a Premier account holder - not that I fuflfilled the criteria any more!!
I have since managed to sell my house am now renting and have paid off all my debts.

Thanks to Martin and his weekly emails. That breathing space was just what I needed at that time to get to the light at the end of the tunnel!

Barbs :T

chunkymonkey35

I have just received a no from Halifax so am now waiting for a response to the 2nd letter. Finances not improving but I will keep trying:p

Trilly

Received a letter last week stating I was not under sufficient hardship but including the form to out line my current expenditure.

The charges were of over £2000 including almost £750 in the last 12 months.

This arrived on the same day for another letter for an overdraft charge and also a letter stating that I owe £2,750 as my overdraft is now up for renewal.

I make almost exactly as much as I spend, give or take £50, with little extravagances. If I don't have an extra £50 or so it's due to overdraft charges or interest rates on those which puts me back into an unarranged overdraft limit.

For example: I purchased a much needed new pair of running shoes, got charged interest, returned them and didn't get a refund before another charge for my phone bill came out.

I owe Bank of Scotland £2,750 and their 'quick' throw at what new overdraft I could get is £0. Nothing.

I have a meeting with the bank on Friday lunchtime to see if I can arrange a loan to cover this so I do not fall into 'debt' with the bank, however I'm not too keen that I will be accepted.

Should I mention the overdraft charges?

If the bank paid back nearly £2000 I'm sure I could arrange a loan of less than £1000 and work under that for the foreseeable future.

My problem is that I don't know how helpful it is trying to take a loan out with people I owe money to whilst at the same time feel that they owe me £2000!

ollie-flynn

Mmmm am I doing this right?

flowergirls

Hi i haven t claim any bank charges as yet. But want to, Do u have to be on benefits to claim hardship. We bank with barclays. W have a lot o debts and i am not working at mo as i have broken my ankle. I only work part time as we have 3 children. Can u also tell me how to do it. Thanks

ollie-flynn

I would be grateful if anyone out there can help with this one please.

I am with HSBC and over the last goodness knows how many years they have been charging me with unauthorised bank charges. Over the past six years this has amounted to £3700. The bank has refused to allow me to have an authorised overdraft that i've applied for twice to help me (along with there appologies) but is quite happy to charge me each time I overdraw.

I strongly feel that the bank is making money at my expence rather than helping me out.

So, would this be a case (along with other reasons) for the hardship ruling?

hollo2

MSE_Wendy wrote: »

:mad:

we went down the hardship route with nationwide and filled out a form and even though we are in arreas with the mortgage and other loans and bills they said no as it is not there fault we are in hardship. We were amazed by this as surely some of it is down to them and a payout now would really help us. We have just left it with the ombudsman now.

natweststaffmember

hollo2 wrote: »

MSE_Wendy wrote: »

:mad:

we went down the hardship route with nationwide and filled out a form and even though we are in arreas with the mortgage and other loans and bills they said no as it is not there fault we are in hardship. We were amazed by this as surely some of it is down to them and a payout now would really help us. We have just left it with the ombudsman now.

Nationwide are pretty good on financial hardship and to get the FOS to get them to make an offer you need to argue the point that they have made when they said no. For example, if they said that you were paying back arrears on priority debts then what they are saying is that you have enough money to cover debts plus reduce arrears.

ladym2409

Just another success story with bank charges, I first wrote to my bank in May, and yesterday they credited my account with the amount I had claimed, plus interest.
I really didnt think I would get a penny back, but I used the advice from MSE, and am extremely pleased with the result. I would urge anyone who has had these charges unfairly added to their account to give it a go.:T