A vulnerable customer is someone who’s especially susceptible to harm because of personal circumstances, such as:
The vulnerability could be temporary or permanent, can vary widely and might not be obvious.
We understand our duty to protect the interests of vulnerable customers by:
We look out for warning signs and always consider our customers’ needs, treating everyone fairly as an individual so we can do what’s right. We’ll do our utmost to advise and support you, and make regular adjustments to our processes using specialist tools and resources.
Our highly trained staff help us offer you the support you need. Whether you have specific accessibility needs or find yourself vulnerable in the short term, we always consider our customers’ needs on a case-by-case basis.
We’ve a range of support tools for customers who, for example, are elderly and need a little extra help, or who have particular accessibility needs (visual, hearing, cognitive or motor impairment), such as:
We’ve also put together a list of advisory organisations that might be able to help if you need more support:
Age UK
Online: https://www.ageuk.org.uk
Phone: 0800 055 6112
Royal National Institute of Blind people
Online: https://www.rnib.org.uk
Phone: 0303 123 999
Independent age
Online: https://www.independentage.org
Phone: 0800 319 6789
British Deaf Association
Online: https://bda.org.uk
Phone: 020 7697 4140
Mind
Online: https://www.mind.org.uk
Phone: 0300 1233 393
Dementia friends
Online: https://www.dementiafriends.org.uk
Phone: 0300 2225 855
Alzheimer’s Society
Online: www.alzheimers.org.uk
Phone: 0300 222 1122
Citizens advice
Online: www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Phone (England): 03444 111 444
Phone (Wales): 03444 77 20 20
Citizens advice Scotland
Online: www.cas.org.uk
Phone (Scotland): 03454 040 506
If you’re struggling to pay bills because, for example, your income’s been lowered or you’ve taken on some unexpected costs, it’s always better to act as soon as you can to avoid falling further into debt.
Here are some advisory organisations that give free advice to help you get back on track:
Step Change
Online: www.stepchange.org
Phone: 0800 138 1111
MoneyHelper
Online: www.moneyhelper.org.uk
Phone: 0800 138 7777
Pay plan
Online: www.payplan.com
Phone: 0808 250 0869
Citizens advice
Online: www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Phone (England): 03444 111 444
Phone (Wales): 03444 77 20 20
Citizens advice Scotland
Online: www.cas.org.uk
Phone (Scotland): 03454 040 506
National Debtline
Online: www.nationaldebtline.co.uk
Phone: 0808 808 4000
Whether you have accessibility needs, find yourself vulnerable in the short-term or need someone to help you long-term, you can nominate a third-party to help sort out your application.
At a basic level, you can assign nominees, such as a relative or carer, who can contact us on your behalf to carry out certain actions in relation to your application.
Other third-parties will need to send us documentation to confirm their authority to act on your behalf. This can either be:
Non-legal:
Or legal:
For more information about powers of attorney, refer to the government website:
Gov.uk
Online: www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney
From time to time, we’ll write to you about your products, services or application. If you have a disability or medical condition which makes it difficult for you to read our letters, we can provide this information in these alternative formats:
To get your correspondence in an alternative format, tell our advisers and they will arrange it for you.
You could also consider using a Next Generation Text Service (NGTS); if you have a hearing and/or speech impairment, the NGTS uses a relay service to help you communicate over the phone. It’s compatible with landlines, smartphones, tablets and computers.
Information on how to set it up and how much it costs are explained in BT’s Relay UK webpage – www.relayuk.bt.com.
