Barclays has advised customers to seek help from friends and family or even contact food banks after a major IT glitch left some locked out of their accounts.
Hundreds of people reportedly claim they are experiencing interrupted services and missing funds after the issue struck on what was payday for many British workers and the deadline for self-assessment tax returns.
The bank has apologised to those affected, saying the company is facing ongoing technical issues, and promised no one would be left out of pocket.
But its handling of complaints has provoked an angry reaction online.
Customers have posted on X that they were unable to buy shopping for themselves and their young children, pay their bills or withdraw cash.
But the bank insists its ATMs are unaffected.
In a statement after the complaints online, Barclays said: “We are proactively contacting vulnerable customers to offer dedicated help and support. Their calls are being prioritised on our telephony lines meaning their calls get answered first.
“Our ATMs are unaffected by this technical issue so customers can withdraw cash and use their cards to make payments.”
Barclays later added: “Some may continue to see an outdated balance, and payments made or received may not show. Customers should not try to make the payment again.
“We will ensure that no impacted customer is left out of pocket.
“We are keeping our call centres open for longer this weekend and we will be proactively contacting customers who may be vulnerable.”
Bank’s response criticised as ‘triggering’
On social media site X, in response to one user who said her household “has no access to money”, the Barclays UK Help account asked: “Are there any friends or family who can offer support?”
When she said she didn’t and criticised the reply as “so triggering”, the bank’s X account posted links to the Trussell Trust, a charity that runs food banks, and Citizens Advice, which offers help for a range of problems.
