Upheld: failure to make reasonable adjustments for disability; poor customer service; inappropriate call termination complaint against Nationwide Building Society
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6348969 of 2026-06-11T00:00:00+00:00. failure to make reasonable adjustments for disability; poor customer service; inappropriate call termination complaint against Nationwide Building Society. Outcome: Upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6348969 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-06-11T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Nationwide Building Society |
| Product | Savings / ISA |
| Claim type | failure to make reasonable adjustments for disability; poor customer service; inappropriate call termination |
| Outcome | Upheld |
| Remedy | Pay Mrs K £150 total compensation for distress and inconvenience (minus any amount already paid), and provide a letter of apology for poor service. |
Summary
Mrs K, who is hard-of-hearing and has a physical condition restricting her mobility, contacted NBS to transfer funds from her Reward Saver Account to a third-party provider. NBS advised that such transfers required either internet banking (which Mrs K lacked) or an in-branch visit, and suggested telephone transfers were only available for customers registered as vulnerable. Mrs K disclosed her disabilities but expressed reasonable concerns about self-defining as vulnerable, fearing it might affect her future financial independence. NBS took a strict approach and offered no alternative support without formal vulnerability registration. The call ended when the adviser terminated it after Mrs K raised her voice, despite Mrs K explaining twice that her hearing impairment affected her voice control. The ombudsman upheld the complaint, finding NBS should have made reasonable adjustments based on the disclosed circumstances rather than requiring formal vulnerability registration, and that terminating the call was inappropriate. NBS was ordered to pay £150 compensation.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found NBS took an unreasonably strict approach to its terms and conditions by requiring Mrs K to formally register as vulnerable before offering support, despite her clear disclosure of physical difficulties. The ombudsman determined NBS should have considered the broader circumstances and made reasonable adjustments (such as transferring to a specialist adviser) based on the disclosed needs rather than requiring self-definition as vulnerable. Additionally, the adviser's termination of the call was inappropriate given Mrs K's repeated explanations that her raised voice resulted from her hearing impairment, not inappropriate tone or conduct.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Nationwide Building Society, all decisions | 13,251 | 21% |
| Savings / ISA, all decisions | 7,604 | 22% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website