Switching on benefits?

justwannagetby

I'd love to switch banks but I'm worried that the 'bribes' offered would be off limits for me as I only have ESA benefit and a small pension paid in each month. 
I'll get my long-awaited state pension in April and I'd like everything sorted before then but I'm afraid that benefit claimants are inelligable for these offers... Does anyone know? I'd love to be wrong. 

eskbanker

There are two separate issues - qualification for switching incentives and eligibility for opening the new account in the first place.

The Ts & Cs of switching offers address the first, and are just a prescriptive box-ticking exercise, i.e. do X, Y and Z by a certain date and you receive the money.

However, eligibility for the account itself is much less predictable - there is no blanket ban on benefits claimants but those on lower incomes are less likely to be accepted for some accounts, with HSBC Advance in particular being harder than many to acquire.

What's your total annual income and which bank are you looking at applying to?