Not upheld: poor customer service in handling financial difficulty support request; failure to provide adequate support despite knowledge of vulnerability complaint against National Westminster Bank Public Limited Company (NatWest)
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6063938 of 2026-04-15T00:00:00+00:00. poor customer service in handling financial difficulty support request; failure to provide adequate support despite knowledge of vulnerability complaint against National Westminster Bank Public Limited Company (NatWest). Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6063938 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-04-15T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | National Westminster Bank Public Limited Company (NatWest) |
| Product | Overdraft |
| Claim type | poor customer service in handling financial difficulty support request; failure to provide adequate support despite knowledge of vulnerability |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | No additional remedy ordered. The ombudsman found that NatWest's payment of £220 in compensation was adequate. The ombudsman reminded NatWest of its obligation to treat Mr D with forbearance and advised Mr D to contact NatWest if he still requires support with his overdraft. |
Summary
Mr D complained that NatWest failed to support him appropriately when he contacted them in July 2025 regarding financial difficulties with his overdraft. He sought a six-month freeze on interest and charges but experienced poor customer service including a missed callback, a prematurely disconnected webchat, repetitive questioning over nearly 10 days, and no resolution despite informing NatWest of his depression and anxiety. NatWest paid £220 in compensation but did not freeze interest or establish a repayment plan. The ombudsman found that while NatWest's customer service was deficient, it was not reasonably able to provide financial support without complete information about Mr D's situation, and the compensation already paid was adequate.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman acknowledged that NatWest could have provided better customer service, including avoiding premature chat disconnection, reducing repetitive questioning, and providing a callback as promised. However, the ombudsman concluded that NatWest was not reasonably able to provide financial support or freeze interest without complete information about Mr D's financial situation and his specific intentions regarding the overdraft. The ombudsman found that the £220 compensation already paid was sufficient given the overall impact and NatWest's knowledge of Mr D's mental health vulnerabilities, in line with the FOS's published approach to distress and inconvenience awards.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| National Westminster Bank Public Limited Company (NatWest), all decisions | 93 | 5% |
| Overdraft, all decisions | 3,791 | 24% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website