Left without any cash to buy food for my son
SINGLE mother Samantha Smith says NatWest’s IT glitch has forced her to put off the weekly shop for her and three-year-old son Tyler.
The part-time call centre worker says she usually does the shopping every Wednesday after a £75 working tax credit payment lands in her bank account.
But yesterday it failed to appear. She immediately assumed it was a mix-up by HM Revenue & Customs and called them up.
But after two hours on HMRC’s helpline she was told the problem lay with NatWest and was advised to phone the bank.
After being left on hold for 40 minutes she says she eventually gave up.
Miss Smith, 30, from Ashby in Leicestershire, said: ‘I work 16 hours a week and get paid monthly so I rely heavily on these weekly payments. I’ve had to put off my food shopping. The whole thing is a disgrace and should not be happening in this day and age. This is a huge inconvenience and I feel very let down.’
She was not the only one to struggle with bills because of the missing payments. One Twitter user wrote: ‘Thanks @RBSGroup for losing my salary, I understand it will be sorted by Saturday. Please tell me how I am going to feed my children.’
Another added: ‘@NatWest_Help Payments still not gone in. Need this money today as it is my rent money and I will get charged if it is not paid today.
‘I cannot visit branch as over 50 mile away and cannot get through on phone need this money urgently for my rent.’
Others were angry at the fact that they had to phone a costly number to get help.
‘@NatWest_Help Charging over 8p a minute to ring helpline been on over 30 mins and used my credit. Making more money out of your mistakes,’ tweeted one angry customer.
Another wrote: ‘@NatWest_Help Over 20mins on the phone in a queue so far and still waiting. Who is going to pay my phone bill?
‘My weekly food shop isn’t being delivered as payment can’t be taken, I can’t get gas or electric as have no money, 3 kids. Not good enough. So fed up of NatWest banking failures.’