Paper bank statements - Lloyds/Halifax particularly

[Vickythevan63]

Does anyone work for Lloyds bank or Halifax?

All my family bank with Lloyds, we have always opted for paper statements as we have needed them for ID in a number of circumstances, and printed at home/branch versions aren’t always accepted. Plus our young adult DC have no other address ID.

Lloyds and associated banks have sent out letters saying paper statements are no longer available, it says temporarily but I suspect it’s permanent.

I have called the Lloyds account helpline, been told that the issue is temporary “but we can’t say how long for as it is confidential” and basically tough, you can’t opt in for them at the moment. The guys attitude was “if you can access online banking, you can access and print statements”.

I pointed out that printing at home is only an option if you have a printer, and as for the branch option…What branches? “We can only provide printed statements to vulnerable people”.

Does anyone work for the Lloyds group and can shed any light on this problem, is it really temporary, or is it permanent as I (and many on MSE forum) suspect.

Also, can anyone recommend other banks that still send paper statements? Or at least let you request one if needed as ID.

Increasingly statements printed at home are acceptable ID. Especially if you print out the proper PDF ones. They worked for a recent mortgage application for me.

I prefer paper.
With online you have to remember you have it to know to search for it.
With filed paper records they are just there as needed, waiting for you

Plus I like to do the tickback with the receipts. I'm dubious about Halifax's honesty over what's happening here, and like other people I think this is going to be used as an excuse to move people to paperless.

@Cyclingforcake

As I have said above, I am sure copies printed at home are accepted for many things, but they won’t be for the Kids’ Irish passport applications, which specifically says they must be originals - it is repeated in more than one place on the application form.

Plus, if we do send and they are rejected, we won’t know until they have been sent registered post to Ireland and we will then have the problem of working out what else to send.

They would have national insurance letters which are normally sent out just before they turn 16. A copy can be found on their personal tax account on the government gateway where you can request a paper copy to be sent.

Not sure why it's the bank's problem that some other organisations want a paper bank statement as evidence of address. When no banks provide them, the other organisations will have to find better ways. Providing a paper statement isn't really fool proof anyway - with a scanner, free software and a printer, anyone can forge bank statements, so organisations relying on such antiquated "evidence" of address are behind the times anyway by about 20 years!

Halifax's decision to do this has made the national news. Just heard it on the radio. Made it sound as if it really is temporary and that they hope to have things back to normal by December, though that's not definite.

Paper statement from Halifax turned up today so is their issue now fixed?