helping daughter with abbey

novelli

today my dauighter had £300 taken from her bank in charges in one swoop.
she lives on a tight budget, works part time, has a 5 yr old, get WTC. She lives in a private rented house and this was half her rent money.
She also has other debts, utility, c.tax etc.

She went ijnto the bank on discovering what they had done and the manager was apparently very rude to her, telling her its her own fault etc etc and that other banks might be refunding chaRGES but abbey werent that stupid!!!
the charges are mostly for unpaid direct debits.
she tried explaining to the woman that this is her rent money and if she cant pay her rent she will be homeless, but the lady was having none of it.
She is distraut now so i have said i will go to the bank with her tomorrow and see if i can plead to their better nature!!
I was going to get her to fill out income and expenditure forms, take proof of other utility debts etc, is there anything else i can do??? what should i say to this woman and hows best to approach it. I know i can help her to reclaim charges but she needs this money like now to pay her rent.
I managed to get HSBC to pay me within 2 hours when i was in a desperate situation, so how likely is it that abbey will do the same??

natweststaffmember

novelli wrote: »

today my dauighter had £300 taken from her bank in charges in one swoop.
she lives on a tight budget, works part time, has a 5 yr old, get WTC. She lives in a private rented house and this was half her rent money.
She also has other debts, utility, c.tax etc.

She went ijnto the bank on discovering what they had done and the manager was apparently very rude to her, telling her its her own fault etc etc and that other banks might be refunding chaRGES but abbey werent that stupid!!!
the charges are mostly for unpaid direct debits.
she tried explaining to the woman that this is her rent money and if she cant pay her rent she will be homeless, but the lady was having none of it.
She is distraut now so i have said i will go to the bank with her tomorrow and see if i can plead to their better nature!!
I was going to get her to fill out income and expenditure forms, take proof of other utility debts etc, is there anything else i can do??? what should i say to this woman and hows best to approach it. I know i can help her to reclaim charges but she needs this money like now to pay her rent.
I managed to get HSBC to pay me within 2 hours when i was in a desperate situation, so how likely is it that abbey will do the same??

Ok, Abbey are unlikely to refund under financial hardship in the branches. I would get her to open a separate account with a bank not connected to Santander Group(so not A&L). If her WTC are going into her account then she needs to look at the First right of Appropriation letter for the benefits.
Did the manager speak to her in a private room or in front of customers of the bank?

novelli

natweststaffmember wrote: »

Ok, Abbey are unlikely to refund under financial hardship in the branches. I would get her to open a separate account with a bank not connected to Santander Group(so not A&L). If her WTC are going into her account then she needs to look at the First right of Appropriation letter for the benefits.
Did the manager speak to her in a private room or in front of customers of the bank?

where do i get the letter re apportion re WTC.
i will ask her about where the woman spoke to her, but i dont think that bank has an interview room, its like just behind glass screens, will check tho.
thanks for your help its much appreciated

natweststaffmember

novelli wrote: »

where do i get the letter re apportion re WTC.
i will ask her about where the woman spoke to her, but i dont think that bank has an interview room, its like just behind glass screens, will check tho.
thanks for your help its much appreciated

I am not sure where it is here but I know where it is on Legal Beagles forum

http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/showthread.php?t=124

[your name ]
[your address]


[date]


[bank name ]
[bank address]




Dear Sir/Madam,

RIGHT OF APPROPRIATION
ACCOUNT NUMBER: xxxxxxxxx

I am writing to inform you that I am due to have a Benefit / Salary / tax credit payment of £xxx paid into my account on xx/xx/xx, and I wish to use my first right of appropriation for this money, for the following purposes;

Rent - Company/Landlord name/reference - due to be collected by Direct Debit on xx/xx/xxxx - £xx

Please ensure this payment is made.

I also need to appropriate the sum of £xxx for essential housekeeping and will withdraw this sum over the counter/by ATM on xx/xx/xxxx.

Please ensure this sum is available to me at that time and that any other payments out of my account or charges applied to my account do not interfere with this withdrawal.

If you have any doubt over my rights please contact your legal team.


Yours faithfully,


[signature]

natweststaffmember

The other aspect is whether the appropriate privacy was given to your daughter which is why I asked about an interview.

novelli

just waiting for her to get bk to me about where she was spoken to.

:beer:

natweststaffmember

She does need to claim her charges back under financial hardship. She seems to have some basic elements of it so she needs her statements if she doesn;t have them already going back to July 2001.

novelli

natweststaffmember wrote: »

She does need to claim her charges back under financial hardship. She seems to have some basic elements of it so she needs her statements if she doesn;t have them already going back to July 2001.

yes i will help her to do that, but i really need to get them to refund what they took today so she can pay her rent.:mad:

natweststaffmember

novelli wrote: »

yes i will help her to do that, but i really need to get them to refund what they took today so she can pay her rent.:mad:

I would try the approach of treating customers fairly since she is on a low wage and could be kicked out of her house. Try that approach.

simon_templar_2

When her bank statement arrives, on page 1 there is a list of any charges due to come out. This gives you at least 3 weeks notice to do something about them. It is far easier to deal with BEFORE they go out rather than wait for them to go out. The branch can only refund charges if it is branch error but if no charges been refunded in last 12 months they have discretion to refund upto £50.

novelli

natweststaffmember wrote: »

I would try the approach of treating customers fairly since she is on a low wage and could be kicked out of her house. Try that approach.

yeah i was gonna sort of go with that approach, am taking final demand bills and bailiffs letter as well to show the seriousness of the situation. hopefully they will then deal with itunder financiaL HARdship.