Santander has been criticised as an elderly long-time customer was unable to access its services after he became terminally ill.
A relative of the man contacted the bank over X to voice her fury at how he had been treated.
She said: “Please advise how my elderly terminally ill father-in-law can access his money.
“He cannot speak on the phone, he cannot leave the house and cheques he is writing you are refusing to cash because his handwriting has deteriorated. How can he get his money?”
The bank replied to offer their apologies and asked: “Are you or a close family member able to be with your father-in-law if we were to call?”
The bank also invited her to send an email to [email protected] so his case could be looked into.
But the woman said she had already spoken to the bank and made no progress. She said: “We’ve spoken to a senior person at Santander.
“Apparently you cannot help. The only way for a dying 87-year-old man to get his money is to hire a private ambulance and wheel him in on a trolley. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
Santander reiterated that they would like to look into the case further, adding: “The option to send us that email still stands if you wish to.”
The woman said she had sent them an email but this hadn’t helped. She said: “We have sent an email. Someone called in response and said there’s nothing you can do.
“It’s absolutely disgusting the way you are treating your long-term customers.”
The woman later confirmed that she had sent an email to the address provided but Santander said this had yet to arrive on their side.
Santander told Express.co.uk they have several measures to help customers who need help with their banking.
This includes a Carers Card, a separate account allowing two carers to carry out daily tasks such as food shopping on someone’s behalf.
Customers can also set up third-party access, to allow a trusted friend or relative to access their account, or can set up a Power of Attorney.
The bank said: “We offer support to customers based on their individual circumstances and would encourage anyone struggling to contact us as soon as possible to discuss the options available.”
For the latest personal finance news, follow us on Twitter at @ExpressMoney_.
