How accessible have you found banking during the pandemic?

Ross_Scope

How banks are supporting disabled customers during coronavirus

The Big Hack by Scope is calling for businesses to improve their digital services for disabled customers, and they recently took a closer look at how the country's biggest banks are supporting their disabled customers throughout this time.

The importance of accessible banking

Ensuring digital banking services are accessible is now even more vital for supporting people remotely during the pandemic.

Many disabled people are in the highest risk category. Which means they will be shielding or self-isolating for much longer than the rest of the population.

And therefore, many disabled people are now relying on digital banking services to manage their finances than ever before. For many, visiting a physical bank branch is no longer possible.

Common services available to disabled customers include:

• online and mobile banking
• textphone and BSL (British Sign Language) video interpreting
• next generation text relay
• live chat service
• tutorial and training videos

And much more.

See what assistive services your specific bank offers

How accessible have you found banking during the pandemic and in general? Do you think your bank should be doing better?
Looking forward to hearing from you  

66Mustang

My bank has been really good but the one thing I would suggest (and I don’t even know if it’s possible, it might be fundamentally impossible) is a way of remotely paying in a cheque as I still to have to go into the bank to do this. 

chiarieds

Hi @66Mustang - you can pay in cheques remotely, at least with the bank I use, but there was a limit of £50, which didn't help when my cheque was for more than this. I also found it difficult to see where you can do this online, & have just checked & can't find it, unless you've downloaded an app, in which case there are clear instructions how to do this by taking photos of the cheque, etc.

Ross_Scope

Thanks for that information @chiarieds , hopefully that helps you @66Mustang.

It's definitely something I hadn't thought of, it's almost as though banks are trying to phase them out.

66Mustang

@chiarieds I’ve just checked and sadly my bank doesn’t offer that facility but that’s really interesting to know that it’s actually possible. Thanks

66Mustang

@Ross_Scope I would tend to agree. My local branch closed so now I have to drive to a town 7.5 miles away, and pay to park, to pay in cheques. Not the end of the world but it does end up costing money to pay in cheques which cancels out some of the value of the cheque. 

Ross_Scope

Good job you love driving then isn't it @66Mustang?  

I have to say my bank is very good in terms of accessibility. That article I linked above has tabs at the top where you can select your bank and see what they offer disabled people, and Barclays is listed as one of the leading ones.

They have a very accessible app and the website is straight forward to use, I've very rarely had issues.

janer1967

I agree paying in cheques is a nightmare I have to post it to my mum and get her to pay it in as she has a branch local

Hopefully in time you wont get cheques they will just do online payments , though I think some companies have a ulterior motive knowing that maybe cheques for small amounts wont be paid in, I know I havent paid in some small ones less than £10 

OverlyAnxious

I find the banking apps absolutely invaluable.  Have only been using them a couple of years but couldn't go back now!  Lockdown hasn't made any difference to that.

Barclays allow you to pay in cheques via the app...but it's a right kerfuffle!  It uses the camera on your phone to scan the cheque and read it.  But it takes ages to get it properly lined up with a suitable background, with the right contrast and without any glare on the cheque...  I've tried 2 cheques so far and never got either to work!  Ended up taking them into the bank last year.  At the time I was also banking with Nationwide, who allow cheque pay-ins on their self service machines so that's what I did, no need to deal with a person on the counter that way. 

Ross_Scope

Agree with you there @OverlyAnxious, the app[s have been a life changer for me. They've made banking so much easier. 

I haven't used that feature on the Barclays app yet, but it's a start at least, I'm sure they will develop it and make it better. 

MrAllen1976

A few weeks back I had a problem with my main Bank card not working online, I rang Yorkshire Bank's Scottish call centre and spoke to them, explained my problem and then they put me on hold to speak to the anti-fraud people, I was on for just over an hour before I finally gave up (call charges kick in after an hour as well)

OverlyAnxious

MrAllen1976 said:

A few weeks back I had a problem with my main Bank card not working online, I rang Yorkshire Bank's Scottish call centre and spoke to them, explained my problem and then they put me on hold to speak to the anti-fraud people, I was on for just over an hour before I finally gave up (call charges kick in after an hour as well)

Did you get it sorted or is your card still blocked?

I've just checked Yorkshire Banks website and the numbers are 0800 so they should be completely free, they're not restricted to an hour.

Ross_Scope

Have you been able to sort it @MrAllen1976?