IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ THEN DELETE THIS PAGE

This is a template letter for guidance.  You need to add your details and where appropriate change the letter to suit your particular circumstances. 

Once you’ve made changes, always print it out and read through to check it makes sense to the recipient.

HOW IT WORKS: 

[BLUE BRACKETS]: Put your specific info here, then delete the instructions (and change the text colour)

 [RED BRACKETS]: Just for info, after you’ve read ENSURE YOU DELETE

Please remember it is VERY IMPORTANT you make this section as personal as possible to give a better chance of your claim not being turned down.

Now delete this page so your letter starts from the name and address section below

[insert your name 
and address]

[insert date]

[insert name and 
address of bank]

Dear Sir or Madam,

Account number: [insert the number of the bank account you are writing to reclaim from]

I am writing to request that you repay all the charges in relation to direct debits, unauthorised overdrafts and standing orders that have been applied to my account in the past six years.

I believe the fact that I have been incurring bank charges goes contrary to the aims of the Lending Code (Section 9) and Banking Conduct of Business Sourcebook (section 5.1.4 ‘in particular, a firm should deal fairly with a banking customer whom it has reason to believe is in financial difficulty’). My personal situation has been affected by the charges leaving me in financial hardship and I am writing to request that you take the following grounds into consideration:

[Now you need to tell your own story... we can’t write this for you

Explain why you think charges were unfair in your own words (see examples in the guide). You should try and include examples which demonstrate as many of the following points as are relevant. 

•	Can’t pay for necessities.  You’re struggling to meet basic necessities eg mortgage, council tax, food, utility bills
•	Can’t pay debts. You’re struggling to make loan and credit card repayments
•	Income eaten by charges. Your income’s being eaten up by repaying charges (eg you’re being asked to pay £50 of charges from a £100 weekly benefit income)
•	Payments regularly returned. Your payments regularly get returned unpaid as you’ve not enough money in your account
•	Substantial drop in income.  For example, you’ve lost your job, started a lower paid job, needed to take parental or carers leave, your partner has died, you’ve separated from your partner, you’ve started full time education or you/your partner has been/gone to prison
•	Disability or illness. You’ve needed to increase spending on something due to a disability or serious illness
•	Going bankrupt or into debt management. You’re going bankrupt, getting an IVA or Debt Relief Order or are in a debt management plan
•	Living off credit. You’re living off credit and regularly need to increase your credit limit
•	Regular credit card cash withdrawals.  You are using regular cash withdrawals from credit cards to make ends meet
•	Frequently over overdraft limit.  You frequently go over your overdraft limit. In earlier incarnations of hardship rules this was explained as having more than £500 of charges a year – so that seems a good benchmark
Bank charges have hurt your situation. The charges have contributed to making your financial hardship situation materially worse
•	The charges are disproportionate.  If you unintentionally slipped over your limit by a few pounds and the charge is a lot higher than the ‘offence’ eg you go £1 over but charged £35. 
•	You are / were stuck in a cycle of charges you cannot break out off. If you’ve had charges on charges, and were stuck in a trap of not being able to clear them before new daily or monthly fees are added on top.

Delete these instructions when you’ve written your section]

The charges total £[insert total of all charges] and I ask that you repay me the full amount. 

[Use this sentence if you want to include interest or delete]
Plus as I believe I have been unfairly deprived of the money I have calculated £[insert total of interest] interest at the statutory rate, the amount a court would award and I ask that this be added to my claim to give a total of £[insert total of charges plus interest].

I have attached a full schedule of the charges with this document. 

I look forward to a full response to this letter within 14 days and if I do not receive a satisfactory response I intend to pursue my complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service or small claims court at the earliest opportunity.

Yours faithfully,

[insert your signature]

[insert your name (printed)]

[Include a list of charges and be sure to keep a copy for yourself]