HSBC unhelpful!!!!! hardship case

[jillytots]

I have had to give up working as I have two adult children who suffer with Aspergers syndrome. The eldest of these had a baby which left me with no option but to leave work and look after my daughter and grandson! My finances have taken a dive as i am now on income support and carers allowance. I am continually over my overdraft and receive in excess of £70 per month bank charges,often these are applied when the funds are not in my account causing more bank charges. I have lodged a complaint with the bank and have heard nothing regarding hardship case. Any letters that have been written to me are repetitive and contradictory. I feel very badly treated by the HSBC.

[Mochamoo]

Re: HSBC unhelpful!!!!! hardship case

Hi Jillytots

Welcome to LB, I am not the most qualified to help but I am sure someone who knows more will be along shortly xx

It sounds to me like you do qualify for hardship, how much do your charges add up to in total? Have you asked them to consider you as a hardship case? Have you provided evidence of being in financial hardship to hsbc?

If you meet ALL or even ANY of these criteria then your Bank will have to be SYMPATHETIC and POSITIVE when considering these difficulties.

1. The firm will be sympathetic and positive when considering any financial difficulties claimed by the complainant. Firms will not subject a complainant to harassment or undue pressure when discussing their problems.

2. In making an assessment of financial difficulty the firm will take into account:

a. evidence of changes in lifestyle, including loss of employment; disability; serious illness; imprisonment; relationship breakdown; death of a partner; starting a lower paid job; parental/carer leave; and starting full-time education;

b. evidence of the following events:

i. items repeatedly being returned unpaid due to lack of available funds;
ii. failing to make loan repayments or other commitments;
iii. discontinuation of regular credits;
iv. notification of some form of insolvency or court proceedings;
v. regular requests for increased borrowing or repeated rescheduling of debts;
vi. making frequent cash withdrawals on a credit card at a non-promotional rate of interest; and
vii. repeatedly exceeding a credit card or overdraft limit without agreement (and, in this regard, where a complainant has incurred over £500 in unauthorised overdraft charges in the previous 12 months, that is to be treated as indicative of financial difficulty).

3. If during the handling of the complaint the firm becomes aware (including by notification from the complainant) that the complainant may be in, or heading towards financial difficulties, the firm will contact the complainant to outline their approach to financial difficulty cases and to encourage the customer to contact the firm if the customer is worried about their position. The firm will also provide signposts to sources of free, independent money advice.

4. The firm will make available to complainants straightforward information in plain English on the firm’s procedures and systems for dealing with customers in financial difficulty.

5. If it becomes clear to the firm that the complainant needs specialist assistance, the complainant will be referred promptly to a specialist team that deals with customers in financial difficulties, if one exists. The firm will give a phone number on all communications that will put the customer in contact with a named person or a team dedicated to dealing with cases of financial difficulty.

6. Where the firm does not have sufficient evidence to assess whether or not the complainant is in fact in financial difficulty, the firm will seek such further relevant information as is reasonably required to make that assessment. In the event that the firm reasonably requires relevant information to be provided by the complainant and the complainant does not provide the requested information within a reasonable period of time, the firm shall not be obliged to treat such a complainant as being in financial difficulty.

[TUTTSI]

Re: HSBC unhelpful!!!!! hardship case

Hi,

I very warm welcome to Leagle Beagles.

As Mochamoo says, have a read of the Hardship rules as laid down by the FSA. If you qualify which from what you are saying, it seems that you could ckaim hardship status. HSBC, have been a very difficult bank to crack, but one of our members did manage a payout on First Direct which are the same group as HSBC. http://legalbeagles.info/forums/showthread.php?t=9670

When you have had a good read, post up again with the reason why you fall under the Hardship rules and one of us will help you through to progress your claim further.

Remember, when you post on the threads please do not include any personal info.

x

[enaid]

Re: HSBC unhelpful!!!!! hardship case

Hello jillytots,
If you are now only in receipt of benefits it is probably a good idea for you to open a basic account, there are several about. The post office, Nationwide are but two off the top of my head. This will then mean you have to pay people by other means other than through your account with HSBC of course.
If you have your statements and can add the charges that have been put on your account (you can go back six years) but I am summising this is a recent thing with you, then we can help you reclaim those charges.
Enaid x