Bankrupt yesterday. no bank a/c and general panic taking hold.

080808

Hi, i had my bankruptcy hearing yesterday.
fool that i am thought i would stroll into the nationwide today, tell them all and open a basic account in ten mins or so, feel a bit embarrassed and be on my way. ho ho ho!
seems nationwide no longer offer bank accounts of any kind to undischarged bankrupts. even if they did it would currently take at least six weeks they tell me.
then i came here for clues as to my next plan and find that the coop bank will not offer basic accounts to previous account holders so i'm out there.
haven't tried barclays yet but told it will take at least two weeks, but i have had debt with them too so is that a no go aswell?
if i can't open a bank account i can't get my hands on my housing benefit so my landlord will chuck me out in about three weeks.
and i thought it was going to be straightforward.
words of advice, loans of cardboard boxes, tissues and kindness please??
and they told me 08/08/08 was a lucky day...:rolleyes:

skylight

Can your housing benefit be paid into a post office card account? thats for benefits only, but it may be DWP benefits only.

Erm... In the meantime do you have a great friend or relative you can use their account for?

Have you actually phoned the Co-Op for their cashminder account?


And 08/08/08 is a lucky day. Your debt free. You'll see it clearly soon enough!

080808

hi, thanks for talking with me skylight.
post office accounts can recieve income support type payments but not housing benefit. they are sending me cheques as they can't put it in my non existent account - but the cheques can only go into a bank account of my name, not a post ofice account -aaaaaaaargggghhhhhhhh

shadowdragon

can you not arrange to have your HB paid directly to your landlord? Im sure that is an option when filling in the forms.

dalip

You could try co-op(you can ring co-op and they tell you there and then sometimes if it has been approved)it then takes about 8 days for all the account details ect to come through. If you get the all clear for a co-op you could ring the H/A and explain that payment will be late ect.

The other option is there are some places that will cash named cheques for a %.Might be worth it short term.D

zAndy1

Yorkshire bank do a basic account:-

http://www.ybonline.co.uk/personal/current-accounts/standard-current-account/

You could try them

080808

yes, it is an option but not with my landlord/agent. they require payment by standing order only. failure to pay this way incurs a 25.00 charge - says so on my tenancy agreement.
well, 25.00 down is better than a cardboard box i grant you, but i suspect that if my landlord discovers i have no bank a/c they will want to know why, and if they find out i could well get chucked out anyway..
plus, i get housing allowance under the new rules which means i get more than the rent actually is, due to flat rate system. how on earth will that get worked out - can't see my landlord divvyin it up over the desk .
sorry, it's complicated and if it were monday i'd be on the phone to the housing benefit people.
but i'm still in shock cos i really though i was gonna have a new account opened by now...
thanks for bein there

080808

thanks dalip, that could help to cash a cheque but i suspect a h/b giro will not be cashed - it has warnings all over it not to do so!!
off to call the yorkshire bank - but i think they also do not take undischarged bankrupts.

dalip

You coud still ring co-op now and find out 08457 212 212 they are open till 4pm today.

fiveyearplan

I think your only options are Coop and Barclays. I also think I've read on here very recently that Coop are not taking any more BR's who owed them money but I would try it anyway. Barclays should still open an account for you even if you owed them money. Check if Barclays near you is open today and also phone Coop.

080808

yorkshire bank say no to bankrupts - just called and asked,
too scared to call the coop!