Metro closed my account with 7 days notice

Grumpy_chap

Good luck in resolving your case at the bank, and in securing your visa and long-term life goals here.
BUT...

Sompong said:

my husband is a chef and I work as a chef in the same country pub/restaurant, our joint income is around £28k and we also had around £8k in a stocks and share ISA which was moved to the Metro account... That's not particularly unusual or unbelievable.

I wouldn't say paying around £1500 cash a month into a current account is odd either and it's certainly not illegal.

Your combined salaries plus accomodation etc are not common, but not exceptional either as you explain them through the whole thread.  Nor is paying £1,500 in cash illegal.

To receive £1,500 in cash monthly is odd, though, and quite unusual.  Not to mention the security aspect of that.  I assume you are properly paid with pay-slips and tax etc. all declared.  If it was me, I would prefer to have this payment by bank transfer or cheque rather than cash.

colsten

Sompong said:

Metro have agreed to transfer the money to a new account in my name 

This sounds very odd.

Why would they lock your account, then open a new one for you and transfer your money to that new account?

What kinds of account are we talking about?

Thrugelmir

Sompong said:

jonesMUFCforever said:

The reason why your story is so unbelievable is in the figures.
Joint income of £28k so after tax and NI say £25k - and between you you put in £25k in cash into an account in your own name but your husband was also hiding, sorry depositing, cash leaving you absolutely zilch to live on - no rent, no food, no leccy or gas, council tax, water rates, or the most important item in your life a mobile phone.
I am just surprised that Metro did not just block the account and then ask you for the source of funds.

We have a live in position and our employer supplies food, accommodation and utilities in our salary package. 
Some people, with a plan and a goal can live very frugally and save a large proportion of their income - it used to be considered a positive way to live

Your employer appears to be exposing themselves to the potential wrath of the HMRC due to the manner you are being remunerated. 

missile

Shakin_Steve said:

Amazing English, by the way.

I too wondered about that :-)

Sompong

colsten said:

Sompong said:

Metro have agreed to transfer the money to a new account in my name 

This sounds very odd.

Why would they lock your account, then open a new one for you and transfer your money to that new account?

What kinds of account are we talking about?

Sorry, the new account is not with Metro bank.

Sompong

Grumpy_chap said:

Good luck in resolving your case at the bank, and in securing your visa and long-term life goals here.
BUT...

Sompong said:

my husband is a chef and I work as a chef in the same country pub/restaurant, our joint income is around £28k and we also had around £8k in a stocks and share ISA which was moved to the Metro account... That's not particularly unusual or unbelievable.

I wouldn't say paying around £1500 cash a month into a current account is odd either and it's certainly not illegal.

Your combined salaries plus accomodation etc are not common, but not exceptional either as you explain them through the whole thread.  Nor is paying £1,500 in cash illegal.

To receive £1,500 in cash monthly is odd, though, and quite unusual.  Not to mention the security aspect of that.  I assume you are properly paid with pay-slips and tax etc. all declared.  If it was me, I would prefer to have this payment by bank transfer or cheque rather than cash.

Everything is completely above board, we get paid weekly, we get payslips and P60's and during lockdown were furloughed, if anything underhand was going on it would have been flagged by now, my husband has worked for 11 years for him

Sompong

Thrugelmir said:

Sompong said:

jonesMUFCforever said:

The reason why your story is so unbelievable is in the figures.
Joint income of £28k so after tax and NI say £25k - and between you you put in £25k in cash into an account in your own name but your husband was also hiding, sorry depositing, cash leaving you absolutely zilch to live on - no rent, no food, no leccy or gas, council tax, water rates, or the most important item in your life a mobile phone.
I am just surprised that Metro did not just block the account and then ask you for the source of funds.

We have a live in position and our employer supplies food, accommodation and utilities in our salary package. 
Some people, with a plan and a goal can live very frugally and save a large proportion of their income - it used to be considered a positive way to live

Your employer appears to be exposing themselves to the potential wrath of the HMRC due to the manner you are being remunerated. 

If it’s necessary or usually provided for the job

Accommodation at the place of work is exempt if:

• your employees can’t do their work properly without it, for example agricultural workers living on farms
• an employer is usually expected to provide accommodation for people doing that type of work (for example a manager living above a pub, or a vicar looking after a parish)

Sompong

We are slightly going off topic here... at the end of the day all the bank know is
1. Im married
2. Im a Thai national on a settlement visa
3. I work in a pub
4. I pay my wages in cash over the counter
Based on that alone they have closed my account with only 7 days notice. The ombudsman guidance is a minimum of 30 days so the bank has not operated fairly and there is possible grounds for compensation. 
But as long as we get our savings back, promptly and there are no black marks left we will let it go.
I have written to the CEO and sent a SAR request.

Herbalus

There’s also the possibility that the bank have been told that but don’t believe it.

banks don’t generally close accounts because you work in a pub or are a Thai National. It’s more likely that they don’t like the cash element and don’t believe the story behind it. Paying £1500 in cash a month may be perfectly legal, but if there’s no evidence of outgoings then it’s not common.

but I’m not really one to judge myself (just saying how some people might see it), so best of luck getting it sorted. 

Grumpy_chap

Sompong said:

Grumpy_chap said:

Good luck in resolving your case at the bank, and in securing your visa and long-term life goals here.
BUT...

Sompong said:

my husband is a chef and I work as a chef in the same country pub/restaurant, our joint income is around £28k and we also had around £8k in a stocks and share ISA which was moved to the Metro account... That's not particularly unusual or unbelievable.

I wouldn't say paying around £1500 cash a month into a current account is odd either and it's certainly not illegal.

Your combined salaries plus accomodation etc are not common, but not exceptional either as you explain them through the whole thread.  Nor is paying £1,500 in cash illegal.

To receive £1,500 in cash monthly is odd, though, and quite unusual.  Not to mention the security aspect of that.  I assume you are properly paid with pay-slips and tax etc. all declared.  If it was me, I would prefer to have this payment by bank transfer or cheque rather than cash.

Everything is completely above board, we get paid weekly, we get payslips and P60's and during lockdown were furloughed, if anything underhand was going on it would have been flagged by now, my husband has worked for 11 years for him

I never said anything was underhand.  I simply said that to receive salary in cash is unusual and I would prefer bank transfer.