Citizens Advice disappointed at Co-op's decision to withdraw basic bank accounts for un-discharged bankrupts

The Co-operative Bank will no longer allow un-discharged bankrupts a bank account. This leaves only one bank offering people recovering from bankruptcy the option to open one basic bank account. Co-op says that there has been an un-level playing field and that they were offering far more than other banks. However, Gillian Guy, Chief Executive at national charity Citizens Advice, was not happy with the news: "We're very disappointed that the Co-operative Bank has decided to stop offering basic bank accounts to people going through bankruptcy. This leaves only one bank - Barclays - willing to provide basic bank accounts to people in this situation. "This market needs to be shared - all banks should have a responsibility to spread the risk and cater for clients who don't represent immediate profit. "Not being able to open a bank account has very serious repercussions for people - it's much harder to process wages and benefit payments, pay in cheques and pay bills. Without a bank account, these basic everyday tasks can become huge and costly obstacles to overcome, particularly for people who are often already at a vulnerable point in their lives." September 21, 2012