Bank has taken my UC payment!

[Fedupandpoor]

I'm completely fucked. I bank with Tesco and have had a £1000 overdraft for about a year. I'm always overdrawn and am working to crawl out of it. UC paid my monthly payment in today, it was a slightly higher one if £1020 so took me out of overdraft. Within 1 hour fucking Tesco cancelled my overdraft so I have £20. £20 fucking pounds for the month. I have 2 dc and have no food, no rent money no pack lunch, no gas electric, fuck! Do I have any protection from this at all? I'm on the bus home now and will call them as soon as I get home I'm shy to do it on the bus, will they put it back? Absolute fuckers!

Well done izzywizzy, you've won the award for most sanctimonious post, where would you like your gold star sent?

I was just going to post and say banks have to change the way they display overdrafts. Just a heads up that this is ahead of them changing interest rates. Mine goes up to 40% APR next month. If you can get out of it or reduce it you should :-( bastards ey

"Just get a job and scrimp and save like the rest of us have to. Really irresponsible to have kids if you can't give them the best life. Childhood should be fun and not miserable."

Oh get to fuck

@izzywizzygood

What a lovely understanding person you are, you have the brains to realise things aren’t always black and white. The world is such a richer place with the likes of you in it!

izzy such a helpful post.

Complains. Financial firms have to "treat customers fairly" it's an FCA requirement so make sure to use those exact words. If they stand by their decision take to the ombudsman.

@izzywizzygood It's so easy to make generalisations. I wasn't always on UC. But that's where I am right now.

I just escaped a narc ex, have a father going through terminal cancer. Two beautiful kids that I'm fighting like hell for to give them a good childhood. I guess you haven't found yourself on this path judging from that comment. I hope you never do

Should have RTFT...

I wonder if this is anything to do with the way overdraft charges are changing in March? I bet a lot of banks are doing this if they get opportunity to. I’m really sorry OP. I hope you get it sorted.

@amazedmummy thank you for the advice though! I'm going to call up and cancel my overdraft (when the account is empty) and make arrangements to pay it off and will use that phrase. This gave me a nasty fright and never want to actually be in this situation.

Ah just seen your update. What a relief!

izzy what the actual fuck?

You have no idea about op’s circumstances, same as I know nothing about her but what i do know is that your post was nasty and spiteful and says a lot about you.

Are you aware that many millions of working families claim universal credit? Maybe educate yourself a bit before coming on and giving the op a kicking. Shame on you.

Phew!!!

Will be hard paying that overdraft off Moneysavingexpert is fabulous formhelp though.

Well done on escaping the Ex!

They haven't taken your UC payment, they have withdrawn your overdraft. It's hard but they are entitled to do this at any time, I'd have expected them to give more notice though.

I'm trying to clear my overdraft because I know I wouldn't manage if they suddenly cancelled it.

They were probably just trying to reclaim the money whilst it was there. I guess even if you rang Uc it's too late to recall the payment. Can you look at taking a UC crisis loan or whatever they are now called - budgeting loan maybe. I think you may have had to have earned less than a certain amount in the last 6 months to qualify but worth a try maybe. Hope you get it sorted.

Ffs izzywizzy. Give her a break. She's not scrounging and sitting on her arse. She's doing her best with what she's got and difficult circumstances.
She's actually being a lot more understanding of your attitude than you of her situation.
Op. Thank Christ it's sorted.
Take care 💐

I called them and the overdraft is still there. Its just they have changed the way they display your balance and don't show the £1000 overdraft as available. I've never seen the account out of overdraft since the change happened so didn't know that I would just see £20 as available. I'm so sorry for the panicked, pointless post

Thank goodness for that! I had the same a few weeks agp but I'd forgotten about it now. I'm glad it's OK for you.

Definitely, a lesson to pay more attention to contact from your bank and money news. This has been flagged up for months. However, I am very glad it's all sorted. I hated relying on benefits, it was so stressful.

I'm so glad it's OK for now, OP, and loads of good luck for your situation improving.

I would never have known about the rules re banks withdrawing an overdraft facility, so this is a really good thread that might help other people.

to all the lovely posters who have been so informative.

That's great news OP! Good luck in finding a job once your dc starts nursery, I found life so much easier then and felt so much better and more confident once I was earning again. Gives a great opportunity not to have to be in this kind of stressful situation too

I grew up in a very poor household. What matters is how loved you feel. Not how many toys you have.

I find comments like a pp made unhelpful. Literally nobody wants to live in poverty but you can only do your best.

Glad you got sorted OP.

Thats absolutely horrific, I really hope it's not legal but even if it is it's still completely unethically. They have obviously deliberately waited until your universal credit went in to withdraw overdraft. It's an act that is obviously going to cause extreme hardship and distress.
If they wanted to withdraw it they should have put a payment plan in place for you to repay it over 12 months or so. I would speak to them and try and negotiate a repayment plan so they don't take it all back at once. Explain your situation to them and try and stay calm. I would also contact citizens advice on Monday.
I hope someone on here can help you. If bank won't let you repay it gradually I would also change banks. I hope you get something sorted soon, do you have family that might be able to go to, can you get a referral to food bank or apply for a hardship loan or contact a credit union to see if they would lend you the amount of your overdraft? Best of luck💐

Op I'm glad it's sorted but maybe switch the uc to be paid into another account now and cHip away at that overdraft....

I don't have an overdraft but have in the past and I was certainly never aware they could just take the whole amount!

Good luck op

OP

I see you have it sorted, but just incase, I would get a basic bank account and put your UC in that and pay off what you can on your overdraft.

I had this happen to me, money went in, overdraft went away, I had literally no money for a month, I was lucky that my partner was working so bills were paid but we were stretched and once he had paid my bills as well, he was skint, so we had no food only what was in the flat

That's a relief op! You can make a big sigh and have a good or !

Hopefully there's been some good advice on the thread for anyone else who finds themselves in this scenario.