Please sign the petition to make a bank account a legal right for bankrupts.

Thank you: http://www.talkaboutdebt.co.uk/petition/bank-account-petition

I am at present an undischarged Bankrupt and found opening a Basic Bank Account with the Co-Op simplicity itself.
I called them on 0845 212 212 and opened the account over the phone within minutes. You get a debit card that can be used in all atms,The Post Office,And if you live local to one of the Branches of the Co-Op. you can also use for purchases over the internet and in shops & stores, the only thing you dont get is an overdraught,and cheque book. I personally reccomend them. Hope this helps.

i am also in undischarged bankruptcy and have now been trying for nearly a year to get a bank account i've tried barcalys which was along and painful process took about 3 months for them to decide not to give me one, i've also tried abbey, halifax, natwest and no luck with none of them. it makes me laugh because we declare ourselves bankrupt or get declared bankrupt because we dont have the funds to pay for our debts but the banks decide that because we've admitted to our problems with debt that we're not allowed to get easy access to the money that we earn and work hard for especially and this hard time during the recession. give us a break please

Hi there
I went Bankrupt in Aug last year and opened a Coop Cashminder account as soon as we got back from the court, all paperwork and electron card came through within the week.
I also have an Abbey Online Saver account which i send the money over to each month to pay for car tax, mot, ins which helps me to make sure that i dont spend the other money and its there when needed.
I have also heard that Tescos will be doing basic current accounts soon but at the moment they do instant access savings accounts which now they are not in with RBS they may allow you an account as RBS wont take any undischarged bankrupts.
Hope this helps.

You should be able to get a basic account with either Co-op or Barclays quite easily. Both offer a debit card, on-line banking and telephone banking.

It's practically impossible to get a savings account whilst BR.

Try co-operativebank.co.uk

I got an account with them after a quick telephone call. If you don't have a local branch, like me, you can pay in cheques and cash via the post office.

I too was refused by barclays due to bankruptcy but have now opened a bank account with 'think banking'. They are really good and run two separate accounts for you, a bills account and a spending account. On your spending account you even get a maestro (SP) card, there is a £25 set up fee, and a £12.50 per month charge, but it is more than worth it. The customer services are fantastic and i couldn't reccommend them highly enough. katy

It’s not easy to get a normal bank account if you have been made bankrupt but some banks often offer basic account with no cheque book, debt card or borrowing facilities. Try contacting the FSA.

Here's a list of banks with their account opening conditions that looks useful as well.

Here's an extract from bankruptcy what you need to know.

Bankruptcy and Bank Accounts
It’s not illegal to get a bank account if you are an undischarged bankrupt or even a discharged bankrupt. The problem is, it’s difficult to find a bank that will do business with you.

Some good advice here is to wait for a couple of months after being made bankrupt so that your new account doesn’t get caught in the regular updates informing banks and building societies of new bankrupts.