I’m an expat and my cash’s caught in Barclays ‘holding account’

I’m a UK nationwide however have lived in France since 1986. I’ve banked with Barclays since 1965, however in late 2022 my cheques stopped being honoured.

I used to be later instructed I may not hold my account as a result of Brexit rule adjustments, and the account was closed. 

My downside is getting the £15,000 I held with Barclays transferred to my French financial institution – it has been a nightmare. It’s been 10 months and my cash remains to be caught in a ‘holding account’ which I can not entry.

I used to be requested to ship varied documentation signed by an official, together with a duplicate of my UK passport, my French account particulars and varied types Barclays despatched me. 

This has been executed and signed off by my accountant, and I’ve even crammed out a number of the types a number of occasions – however the cash has nonetheless not been transferred. 

I’m in my eighties, do not use the web and may’t journey to the UK to type this out attributable to my sick well being.  

Recently I bought a name from the Barclays complaints division and the individual instructed me she could not see or discover an account for me at Barclays in any respect – not even a holding account. This is sort of regarding. Where is my cash? F.E, France

Helen Crane, This is Money’s client champion, replies: While you will have loved residing la belle vie in France because the Nineteen Eighties, there are specific monetary downsides to being a UK expat. 

Since Brexit, many banks have taken a more durable line on prospects residing in European nations exterior of the UK. 

Some have determined to cease permitting prospects who haven’t got a UK handle to financial institution with them in any respect, and have closed their accounts. 

Others will enable them to maintain their accounts open, however stop them from opening new ones or accessing sure providers. Some banks gave prospects the chance to open particular expat accounts, however these include hefty charges. 

In your case, Barclays made the choice to shut your account completely, because it did for many of its expat prospects. 

You settle for that that’s the case. However, there was a breakdown in communication which has made it an actual problem to get your money. 

You do not use e-mail, as a substitute preferring to financial institution through cellphone and put up. 

Barclays did say that it warned you about this six months upfront of your account being closed, sending you a letter in July 2022 – however you say you did not obtain it. 

You additionally say that you just did not obtain a financial institution assertion from Barclays for greater than a yr upfront of this. 

Whether or not that July letter was despatched, I feel it’s the kind of pressing data that might have been higher defined to you through a cellphone name from Barclays. 

The financial institution has arrange an internet site for many who are having their accounts closed, nevertheless it appears issues have gone improper with regards to getting contact with prospects instantly. 

Thousands of consumers residing throughout Europe are affected by this – a lot of whom might be retirees who do not frequently go surfing. 

As it occurred, your account was closed in February 2023. If you had realised in regards to the closure earlier, you possibly can have merely transferred the funds your self to your French checking account earlier than the UK account was shut down. But as you had missed that deadline, the method was a lot trickier.  

In the directions on Barclays web site, it says these residing exterior the UK ought to solely have to fill out one type with the intention to switch their cash. 

Sounds straightforward – however sadly that wasn’t your expertise. Understandably, there have been a number of paperwork you had to supply, however you say that you’ve despatched these off and never heard something again from Barclays. 

You despatched some by registered put up, so know that they had been delivered. You additionally stated you needed to fill out the identical type a number of occasions, which was hectic given your age and sick well being. 

I do really feel that banks are getting lazier with regards to coping with prospects preferring to correspond by put up or cellphone, as a substitute of doing issues on-line. 

Too typically, letters specifically appear to be ignored with the idea that the client will ultimately decide up the cellphone or use on-line banking. But you might be in your eighties, do not financial institution on-line and do not intend to start out. 

You do not even have an e-mail handle, and needed to enlist the assistance of your daughter again within the UK’s account to get in contact with me and ship me your correspondence. 

Once you probably did, I contacted Barclays in November to ask why getting your cash had taken so lengthy. After I did that, it stated it tried to name you many occasions, however you did not decide up. 

You assured me you hadn’t obtained the calls, although, and once I questioned this Barclays stated it did not have the proper cellphone quantity for you on file – though you had referred to as them on that quantity a number of occasions. 

You additionally obtained the decision from the complaints division, which instructed you it could not discover an account for you, on that very same quantity – so somebody within the Barclays will need to have identified it. 

I needed to ship them your right cellphone quantity with the intention to get the cash transferred, which I’m happy to say was lastly executed in late December. 

That was 10 months after your account was closed, and greater than a yr after you first turned conscious of the issue. If I hadn’t bought concerned, who is aware of how lengthy it could have taken. 

A Barclays spokesman stated: ‘Our Barclays UK merchandise are designed for purchasers inside the UK. Barclays UK is not providing private present or financial savings accounts to retail prospects who’ve an handle registered with us exterior of the UK, with restricted exceptions. 

‘Our buyer was given six month’s discover in July 2022 of this choice earlier than account closure befell in February 2023, with accompanying data explaining the following steps they wanted to take.

‘Letters had been despatched month-to-month between April 2023 and July 2023 to our buyer requesting data that might enable the funds to be launched. 

‘Unfortunately, with out this data we had been unable to finish the declare. Once we had been capable of converse to our buyer the required data was obtained and the funds launched.’

You declare you did not obtain these month-to-month letters, and once more I feel the knowledge would have been higher communicated in a cellphone name.

However, I’m glad that you just lastly have your cash safely in your French account. 

You have since despatched me a postcard out of your city within the stunning Côte d’Azur – and I hope you proceed to get pleasure from your twilight years there, unhampered by any additional banking hassle.