Barclays tells clients to contact family and friends or foodbanks after IT glitch

Barclays has suggested clients to hunt assist from family and friends and even contact meals banks after a significant IT glitch left some locked out of their accounts.

Tons of of individuals reportedly declare they’re experiencing interrupted providers and lacking funds after the problem struck on what was payday for a lot of British staff and the deadline for self-assessment tax returns.

The financial institution has apologised to these affected, saying the corporate is going through ongoing technical points, and promised nobody could be omitted of pocket.

However its dealing with of complaints has provoked an indignant response on-line.

However the financial institution insists its ATMs are unaffected.

In a brand new assertion after complaints on-line, Barclays mentioned: “We’re proactively contacting susceptible clients to supply devoted assist and assist. Their calls are being prioritised on our telephony traces which means their calls get answered first.

“Our ATMs are unaffected by this technical challenge so clients can withdraw money and use their playing cards to make funds.”

Financial institution’s response criticised as ‘triggering’

On social media website X, in response to 1 person who mentioned her family “has no entry to cash”, the Barclays UK Assist account requested: “Are there any mates or household who can supply assist?”

When she mentioned she did not and criticised the reply as “so triggering”, the financial institution’s X account posted hyperlinks to the Trussell Belief, a charity that runs meals banks, and Residents Recommendation, which affords assist for a variety of issues.

Additional afield, David Marsh and his new spouse, from Cumbria, advised Sky Information they’d been locked out of their account whereas on their honeymoon in Australia.

And Karen Bannister, 52, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, mentioned she had transferred all her cash into her Barclays account to pay her payments however the funds by no means arrived.

“My card obtained declined on the grocery store which was fully embarrassing and by 9pm I used to be with out heating as a result of my fuel had run out,” she mentioned.

‘My four-month-old is out of milk powder’

One mom mentioned she was unable to purchase milk for her child as a result of glitch.

“My four-month-old is out of milk powder and screaming for a feed and I nonetheless have not been paid,” she mentioned in a submit on X.

“I have been in tears for hours.”

One other buyer mentioned: “As a result of you Barclays I am left with out cash had a meals store due for supply this morning which now will get cancelled, go away my 4 youngsters with no meals it is a joke as [it is] my cash.”

One requested: “How can I eat and maintain heat if I can not get to my funds?”

And one other mentioned: “Nicely I’ve simply needed to put all my procuring again in Tesco – by no means been so embarrassed in my life… as cannot entry my very own cash.”

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‘We’re extremely sorry’

Barclays has been posting apologetic responses to the complaints.

A spokesperson for the financial institution mentioned earlier: “We’re extremely sorry for the continued technical points which can be impacting our clients’ accounts.

“Some may even see an outdated stability, and funds made or acquired could not present.

“We’re working arduous to repair this challenge, and clients shouldn’t attempt to make the cost once more.

“Clients can use their playing cards and withdraw money, and as quickly as these remaining points are resolved, we’ll let our clients know. We’ll make sure that no impacted buyer is omitted of pocket.”

In an announcement, HMRC mentioned it’s “working carefully” with Barclays to minimise any influence on these submitting their self-assessments.

An HMRC spokesperson mentioned: “Our providers are working as regular, so clients will nonetheless have been in a position to file their returns on time.

“Additionally, the problems is not going to end in late cost penalties as they do not apply till 1 March.”