Day 5 of TSB debacle ...and 1m people still can’t access accounts

ONLY half of TSB’s online accounts were working last night as customers faced a fifth day of chaos caused by the bank’s bungled IT upgrade.

Despite assurances from boss Paul Pester that online banking apps were ‘up and running’, a million customers were still unable to access cash or savings, or pay bills.

While TSB claimed that ‘everything is running smoothly’ for the ‘vast majority’ of customers, the disruption spilled on to the high street, where long queues of customers snaked outside.

It was reported that one TSB branch had only two members of staff to help dozens of distressed account holders, while customers who phoned its call centre had to wait up to an hour.

In a sign that the crisis was worsening, Mr Pester told customers to check their balances at cash machines and make any essential payments through their local Post Office.

Stacey Kavanagh was one of several TSB customers to complain yesterday that their mortgages had vanished from their online accounts.

She said: ‘The incompetence of TSB continues. The app now works but it appears I no longer have a mortgage. I assume that means it won’t be taking any money from me on pay day.’

Andy Sharps complained on Twitter: ‘I join millions unable to get hands on our own money. I managed to get into my account, went to take everything out, then the site crashed. I feel sorry for every loyal customer. I’ve had this account 35 years.’

TSB, headquartered in Edinburgh, has around 1.2million Scottish customers.

Since Friday, many people across the UK have been unable to access cash or pay bills after a catastrophic computer systems upgrade at Britain’s sixth biggest bank.

The IT meltdown saw TSB dubbed the ‘Totally Shambolic Bank’ as furious customers vowed to switch to a rival.

Many had logged in only to find other people’s account details in place of their own, and dozens reported their savings accounts had vanished. Small business owners were unable to pay staff salaries, while some account holders found all their direct debits had disappeared.

Other customers keen to withdraw their cash and move it to another bank were locked out of accounts before they could make the transfer.

Early yesterday, Mr Pester announced services had been restored. He said: ‘Our mobile banking app and online banking are now up and running. Thank you for your patience.’

In fact, the bank was allowing only a limited number of users to access their accounts at any one time. And last night TSB was forced to admit that only half of its customers could get into their accounts online.

The bank said users who were locked out should close the app and restart it – the idea being that, by then, other users will have logged out so there may be space for them to sign in.

TSB said nine in ten mobile banking users were able to access their money, but it is now facing a potential multi-million pound compensation bill and regulatory fines for the crisis.

Mr Pester said: ‘Our teams continue to work around the clock to fix the problems. For the vast majority of our five million customers, everything is running smoothly.

‘One of the main ways our customers see everything is working – through our internet banking and mobile app – isn’t functioning as well as it should be, and for this I’m truly sorry.’

TSB evolved from independent banks set up in the 19th century, conceived by Scots minister the Rev Henry Duncan to help poorer parishioners save.

In 1985, the Bank of England and Treasury ordered they be absorbed into one entity, which became Lloyds TSB.