Need some advice for my mum. Best high street savings account? Debit cards?

anewman

Just looking for some input really. I would scour the bank's websites but unfortunately I am busy with University work at present.

My mum currently has 2 "instant saver" accounts. One with Halifax and the other with Abbey National. As these accounts have tiered levels of interest, the rates these accounts give are relatively poor compared with ISA's. This is the total sum of my mums banking, and I am hoping to help her revitalise her banking and to get better interest for the money she has.

I am trying to advise my mum to get an account with which she can have a debit card and ability to pay bills by direct debit. (Although she does seem needlessly concerned about the idea of someone "having access" to her account, despite me telling her more than once that I have had direct debits set up with numerous companies without trouble, and that she will be told the amount to be taken beforehand with the likely date and any errors the banks will refund immediately. Perhaps I can convince her to set up one direct debit, then she'll see the light that it means not going to the post office and queueing up all the time.)

Are there any accounts with Debit cards which offer good interest no matter how little is paid in? They all seem to offer either 0% interest or 0.1% interest (my mum is unemployed so cannot pay in the £1k a month the banks like to get their dirty hands on).

Also are there any good high street savings accounts, ISA and otherwise, with good rates of interest no matter how much money you put in, which give instant access to your money?

My thoughts are perhaps she could change one of her existing accounts (if the banks let you do this and keep same ac no and sort code) which she uses most to one with a debit card, then open a good savings account, maybe an ISA and a standard savings account with good rates (I.e. good all the time not introductory) regardless of company and transfer any bulk of money to this account.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.