Can't get a bank account

Moominmumma72

4-5 yrs ago my bank closed my account. They refused to explain to me why they did this.
Now I cannot get a bank account in the high street or online.  They all say we cannot give you an account at his time.  Not one of them tells me why they cannot give me an account.
I am 52yrs old & has to have my benefits paid into my 77yr old fathers account.
Should anything happen to him, I am screwed as I will have no access to my money.

I don't know what to do 

p00hsticks

It sounds as if the first bank may have had reason to suspect you of fraud or money laundering (in which case they legally can't tell you anything). You need to check to see if you have a CIFAS marker against you - if you do the other r banks will see this and that's why they are refusing your applications
Fraud Prevention for Individuals | Identity Theft Protection | Cifas

Mark_d

Do you have any idea why the bank might have closed your account?   Was it used for receiving your salary each month and paying regular bills, or were you making/receiving payments which were potentially unlawful or in breach of the bank's terns & conditions?
Have you checked your credit reports?  If the issue is on your credit file then maybe you could get a basic bank account which doesn't require a credit check

Zinger549

Have you tired one of the app only banks (Starling, Monzo).

ChirpyChicken

Zinger549 said:

Have you tired one of the app only banks (Starling, Monzo).

Will get the same result if a cifas marker but you could open a coventry building society cash card account with no issue or another building society cash management account

400ixl

If it is a CIFAS marker then these are applied for up to 6 years, so if your account was closed 5 years ago, then you may not be too far away from that marker being removed.

There is a good article at https://england.shelter.org.uk/professional_resources/legal/debt/banking_and_financial_services/basic_bank_account_applications which may be of some use.

Trying to open a basic bank account with one of the providers who have to provide one (though does not mean the have to accept you) may work.

Do the CIFAS check as it will at least give you some idea.

Kim_13

Moominmumma72 said:

4-5 yrs ago my bank closed my account. They refused to explain to me why they did this.
Now I cannot get a bank account in the high street or online.  They all say we cannot give you an account at his time.  Not one of them tells me why they cannot give me an account.
I am 52yrs old & has to have my benefits paid into my 77yr old fathers account.
Should anything happen to him, I am screwed as I will have no access to my money.

I don't know what to do 

Check for a CIFAS marker against your name as per another of the responses - if you have one, the good news is it’s closer to the end (they fall off after 6 years.) Once your file updates after this, you will be able to get a standard account rather than the very limited selection that will accept markers. But you should avoid whoever placed it and potentially those applied to afterwards who refused you an account (as they might still refuse due to their internal records of you having been refused previously.) Most providers hard search you for a current account so being refused one and having the search there makes it more likely that you will be refused again.

The likes of Chase, Starling and Monzo do not hard search and just do an ID check - so would be good places to try once any marker has come off.

gary1312

ChirpyChicken said:
 you could open a coventry building society cash card account with no issue or another building society cash management account

Coventry BS don't currently offer any cashcard products. AFAIK Nationwide BS are the only Building Society that still do, however the cards can only be used at Nationwide ATMs. 

ChirpyChicken

gary1312 said:

ChirpyChicken said:
 you could open a coventry building society cash card account with no issue or another building society cash management account

Coventry BS don't currently offer any cashcard products. AFAIK Nationwide BS are the only Building Society that still do, however the cards can only be used at Nationwide ATMs. 

That I never knew. Just checked and your right