A customer of NatWest has reported significant difficulties accessing funds held in trust accounts set up for her children, citing delays and confusion stemming from the bank’s procedures. The accounts, known as NatWest First Saver accounts, were established by her mother, who intended to contribute monthly payments to support the children’s university expenses once they turned 18.

The mother is currently in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, with the daughter and son both recently enrolled in university. The customer, who holds financial power of attorney for her mother, has been unable to access approximately £20,000 held across both children’s accounts. NatWest representatives told her that her mother’s explicit consent is required for the funds to be released, a stipulation that poses challenges given her mother’s medical condition.

Throughout nearly a year of attempts to resolve the issue, the customer was given contradictory advice, including suggestions to establish online banking under her mother’s name without consent or to request small, one-time withdrawals under £1,000. In one instance, she was told it might be easier to access the funds following her mother’s death. Consequently, the family had to secure a bank loan to cover immediate university costs.

NatWest acknowledged the problem, attributing the difficulties to a lack of staff awareness regarding a complex internal process. The bank indicated that this was a training issue affecting call center and branch employees who struggled to apply what the customer described as a “standard procedure.” NatWest has since confirmed that the children now have access to their accounts and that compensation has been offered to address the delays.

The bank stated it is using the experience to guide future improvements, though the customer expressed concern about the responsiveness of the institution and its handling of sensitive financial matters involving vulnerable account holders.