bank charges due to hardship

martite

we sent our first template letter and filled in a financial questionaire, however we recieved a phone call from HSBC asking about our utility bills being high, ie our mortgage, council tax,gas and electric bills do not meet with there average rating chart. What i want to know is can they stop us claiming under hardship as we don't meet their score rating? At present we are meeting other bills including food shopping with credit cards and are being hit with bank charges each month.

Premier_2

According to the lending code, there is an onus on a customer to try to help themselves. (term 137)
Furthermore, customers may be considered to be in financial hardship when when their income is insufficient to cover reasonable living expenses and meet financial commitments as they become due. (term 138)

Obviously we don't know your full personal details, but I suspect from their response the bank is questioning the reasonableness of the living expenses for someone that considers themselves to be in financial hardship.

natweststaffmember

martite wrote: »

we sent our first template letter and filled in a financial questionaire, however we recieved a phone call from HSBC asking about our utility bills being high, ie our mortgage, council tax,gas and electric bills do not meet with there average rating chart. What i want to know is can they stop us claiming under hardship as we don't meet their score rating? At present we are meeting other bills including food shopping with credit cards and are being hit with bank charges each month.

What you have to do is contact your priority creditors and ask them what they can do to help you. If they state that the tariffs you are on are non negotiable then ask for this in writing and make HSBC aware that you have done as has been done in section 137(please remember, Premier, that the bank SHOULD also do something if they believe their customer is in financial hardship as well so it is not a one way streak).

Premier_2

natweststaffmember wrote: »

...(please remember, Premier, that the bank SHOULD also do something if they believe their customer is in financial hardship as well so it is not a one way streak).

The bank DO appear to be doing something. Then bank appears to have acknowledged receipt of the financial hardship claim, and now appears to be trying to ascertain the exact position the OP is in so that they can decide what help they should offer.

natweststaffmember

Premier wrote: »

The bank DO appear to be doing something. Then bank appears to have acknowledged receipt of the financial hardship claim, and now appears to be trying to ascertain the exact position the OP is in so that they can decide what help they should offer.

But proactively, themselves, they didn't notice....ooops!

That is as per section 140-144