Lloyds TSB Basic Bank Account

Tally-Ho_2

Hi,

Just to set the situation, I am currently on a Debt Management Plan with Payplan, as due to disability I had to give up my job and now rely on benefits. I owe about £16k on credit cards and a Yorkshire Bank overdraft and a Bank of Scotland loan, which is being paid off on the debt management plan. Thus, as I originally defaulted on my loans etc and had default notices etc served when I was finished at work, my credit file is really bad (but I was not taken to court). I have really learnt a valuable lesson.

Due to me having a large overdraft with the Yorkshire Bank (approx £1,700 - my former monthly salary), I was advised by Payplan to open a basic bank account with another bank for my Incapacity Benefit, War Pension, Housing Benefit etc to go into. I opened a Cashminder account with the Co-op and have a visa electron card. I have run my account faultlessly for over a year now.

Anyway, my problem is that I have to travel by train to college in a town about 35 miles away where I am doing a part time course to help me get a qualification to help me get back into employment.. In order to get cheap train fares, I have to use the internet but my train company does not accept visa electron cards, neither does the local railway station. There is no cashpoint local to the railway station to draw out cash to pay the train fares either. Also my local Post Office recently closed so it is difficult to pay money and cheques into this account. Anyway I asked the Co-op if I could have a Maestro type card which is accepted at the railway station, but they declined to upgrade my account to one that gives a Maestro type card due to a credit check.

I have been looking at other basic bank accounts and it seems that Lloyds TSB 'Cash Account' Basic Bank Account gives a Visa Debit Card (I think it is a full Visa Debit Card , not electron?). Has anyone with a bad cridit record managed to open one of these accounts or am I likely to be declined do you think?.

I know there are limitations on this account about which ATM's etc I can use, but there is a local branch I can pay things into and the Visa Debit Card would let me get cheaper train fares etc.

Sorry this is longwinded but what do people here think are my chances of getting this account with a Visa Debit card are?. I just don't fancy being embarrassed in the bank by being declined. Or is there another bank that I may get a 'full' debit card from (obviously excluding Yorkshire/Clydesdale bank)?.

With thanks
Tally