Latest news with #HelenKirrane
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Lloyds Bank wouldn't let me withdraw £600 in branch and insisted I use a cash machine outside
I went to my local branch of Lloyds Bank in Caerphilly to withdraw £600 in cash at the counter only to be told that due to new rules I had to go to the outside cash machine. If I wanted to be served at the counter I would have to request withdrawal of £800 minimum. The member of branch staff said all customers had been notified of this new procedure in March 2025. Looking at the current Lloyds website it states there is no limit for withdrawals over the counter just give advance notice if the request is for over a certain amount. Checking on my correspondence from Lloyds Bank I can find no notification of this change of policy. I wanted to withdraw it from the counter, as I felt vulnerable getting out such a large sum of cash outside - and I didn't think I'd be able to withdraw such a large sum from an ATM anyway. Helen Kirrane of This is Money replies: Lloyds is one of the few banks which does not have a maximum limit on how much cash customers can withdraw from the counter, according to advice it gave This is Money earlier in the year. Customers need to be able to provide identification if they are withdrawing lager sums. It sounds like you were given the wrong information by the member of branch staff at the counter. Lloyds has not changed the amount that can be withdrawn at the counter - or set a new minimum. What it has changed is the amount customers can withdraw from the ATM if using a Lloyds debit card. Customers can now withdraw amounts up to £800 in cash at the ATM and this has steadily been increasing. Previously, the amount which could be taken out at the ATM was £500. But you should still have been allowed to withdraw an amount of less than £800 at the counter without being made to go outside to use the ATM, which you said you did not feel comfortable doing for such a sum of cash. I don't blame you. Lloyds' branch staff will let customers know the options available to them for carrying out banking with it, but I am surprised a staff member thought the best way for you to withdraw £600 was to go outside and do it at the ATM. A Lloyds bank spokesman said: The amount you can withdraw at a cash machine is £800 per day if you hold a Lloyds Bank debit card. Helen Kirrane adds: Lloyds said you should have been able to withdraw the money over the counter. Earlier this year we asked the big high street banks how much customers can withdraw in cash at the counter. HSBC does not have a maximum limit for how much cash a customer can withdraw from the counter, providing it has the amount you require in cash at your branch. For cash withdrawals up to £5,000 you will not need to give any advance notice to Santander to get your money. Customers can withdraw amounts up to £5,000 over the counter during its opening hours on Monday to Friday – though not on Saturdays. There's no limit to how much money you can take out over the counter in a Barclays branch – as long as you've got the money in your account. Withdrawals up to £2,000 can be made at a Nationwide branch counter without giving prior notice to the building society.
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Why was I asked for ID to buy a Euromillions lottery ticket and what is the minimum age?
I wanted to buy a lottery ticket before the EuroMillions draw last Tuesday so I went to my nearest Sainsbury's. When I asked to purchase two lucky dip lines, the cashier asked me if I had ID to show. I didn't as I left the house in a rush before the 7:30pm cut off and I'm 28 so it didn't cross my mind. I thought the minimum age was 16 which I am clearly over. I'm sure they were just doing their job but do you really need ID to purchase a lottery ticket? I was able to buy one in the corner shop next door without any issue. Prove your age: You must be at least 18 years old to buy a lottery ticket. Shops will ask you for ID if they think you look too young to buy one Helen Kirrane of This is Money replies: You must be 18 years of age or older to purchase a National Lottery ticket. The rules around this changed on 1 October 2021 when the National Lotteries Act 1993 increased the minimum age for sale of National Lottery tickets to 18 years. Previously the minimum age was 16. But you must be a youthful looking 28 year-old, as shops can ask you to show your ID if they think you look under the age of 25. This is also the case when purchasing alcohol for example. It is part of the 'Challenge 25' policy which retailers have in place to stop people buying items which have a legal age requirement. This would also have been the case had you tried to buy your lottery ticket online or on the app, as it carries out age checks when you register for an account. A Sainsbury's spokesman replied: 'Customers must be at least 18 years old to purchase a lottery ticket and as a responsible retailer we operate a Think 25 policy.' A Spokesman from Allwyn, which runs the National Lottery Fund replied: In store, our 43,500 National Lottery retail partners are advised to 'Challenge 25' – a scheme where they're trained to challenge every potential National Lottery customer who looks under the age of 25. So, if you're lucky enough to look younger than that, make sure you bring your ID along. Online, players must be registered to buy a ticket on the National Lottery website or app. When first registering for an online account, they must complete a thorough sign-up process – as well as pass an identity and age verification check by Experian – before the account can be opened.
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Are Scottish bank notes legal tender in England? Three shops refused to take my Scottish £20 recently…
I had a Scottish £20 note in my wallet which I received from a cash machine while recently north of the border. I tried to use it in a shop when I returned to England, but the shopkeeper said they couldn't take it. The same thing happened when I tried at two other shops, until eventually, one accepted it for payment. Are Scottish Bank notes legal tender in the UK outside of Scotland? And do businesses outside of Scotland not have to accept them? Helen Kirrane of This is Money replies: This is a thorny issue and it comes down to what is classed as legal tender and rules around what businesses have to accept as payment. Scottish banknotes are not technically legal tender according to The Bank of England, which is the authority on this. But that does not mean businesses outside of Scotland won't accept them. As it stands, businesses throughout the UK are free to choose what form of payment they accept. There's no Bank of England rules or laws governing what they have to accept - that's why, since the pandemic, some cafes, restaurants and retailers no longer take physical cash whatsoever, they're not obliged to. The short answer is it is up to them, as businesses outside of Scotland within the UK can decide whether or not they accept Scottish banknotes as a form of payment. Are Scottish banknotes legal tender? A Bank of England spokesman replies: Legal tender has a very narrow and technical meaning, which relates to settling debts. It means that if you are in debt to someone, you can't be sued for non-payment if you offer full payment of your debts in legal tender. What is classed as legal tender varies throughout the UK. In England and Wales, Royal Mint coins and Bank of England notes are legal tender. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, only Royal Mint coins are legal tender. Scottish and Northern Ireland banknotes are not formally defined as legal tender. Do shops outside Scotland have to accept Scottish banknotes? A Bank of England spokesman replies: In the UK it is up to individual businesses what they individually do or do not accept as payment. A British Retail Consortium spokesman replies: Scottish banknotes aren't considered legal tender in England and Wales so retailers are not required to accept them although of course many choose to do so. What about in the Post Office? A Post Office spokesman replies: We do encourage our branches outside of Scotland to accept a Scottish bank note which may form part of a larger deposit of cash that an individual or business wants to deposit into their bank account. Can I swap a Scottish banknote at my bank or the Post Office? A Bank of England spokesman replies: We would refer the noteholder to the issuing bank to discuss exchange arrangements, as there is no legal provision in the Banking Act 2009 that requires the issuing bank or the Bank of England to exchange Scottish and Northern Irish notes for other notes. A Post Office spokesman replies: We do not allow customers to 'swap' a Scottish bank note in our branch for an English bank note. However, a customer can deposit a Scottish bank note in their account and then withdraw the equivalent cash – either over the counter or at an ATM if there's one at the branch.
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Is this Revolut email genuine? It's asking me out of the blue to confirm personal details but how can I be sure it's not a scam…
I've been receiving emails from what I think is a Revolut email asking me to confirm personal details for my account. I use the account occasionally when I go abroad. The emails tell me to click on a link to update my personal details but I am wary of it, given other banks say they will never contact you to ask for personal details or ask you to follow a link to log on to online or mobile banking. I have been receiving an email a week since April and most recently Revolut has said it will shut down my account if I don't confirm my personal details. How can I be sure it's not? Revolut sends customers emails asking them up update personal details, they contain a link to take customers to their bank account Helen Kirrane of This is Money replies: I can understand your concern, but Revolut has confirmed this is a genuine email. You told me you thought the email had all the hallmarks of a scam, with the deadline for action, a link to click, and the request for personal details. It's best to be vigilant, especially given all of the high profile cyber attacks in recent months, hitting M&S, Co-op and HMRC. Revolut says it sends emails like this periodically as part of its normal communications with customers. The email came from a Revolut email the bank uses to send out customer communications - no-reply@ The attached link in these emails, which appears in a blue box, brings customers to their Revolut app where they will be prompted to enter their details. Revolut won't ask customers to confirm or make changes to their details anywhere other than in its banking app, the link was just a way to get you there. In addition, there was an issue with the formatting on the emails you received from Revolut which may have thrown you. Revolut is looking into this. The Information Commissioners Office and Article 5 of GDPR require firms to take steps to keep customer information up to date to help prevent fraud. The financial regulator, the FCA, does not have rules on how specifically banks should keep this information updated. Not all banks send a link to direct customers to app or online banking in an email. Santander and Barclays, for example, do not ask customers to log on to online or mobile banking through a link so customers know an email is genuinely from Santander. While Lloyds Bank may send customers links to its secure app. Emails from Lloyds to customers will always include your name, and the last four digits of an account you have with it. A Revolut spokesman replies: These are genuine Revolut comms sent to customers to ensure all details are correct on their accounts, sent from our Revolut email. These are sent periodically to our customers. The attached link on the email only takes users back to their Revolut app where they will be prompted to securely their details Revolut will never ask customers to confirm or make changes to their details anywhere other than in-app The Financial Conduct Authority declined to comment. If in doubt, always check with your bank via its in chat function or telephone number, usually located on the back of your debit card.
Daily Mail
05-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Why did NS&I name the precise town where the most recent £1m Premium Bonds jackpot winner came from?
In the most recent Premium Bonds draw, I noticed that one of the £1million jackpot winners was from Stockport, Greater Manchester. However, I was under the impressions that usually it's the county that is named, not the exact location. Looking through the list I see Hertfordshire, Devon, Kent, Wales... but not specific large towns or cities in these areas. Why is it that Stockport is named - alongside other more specific locations like Barnet, Croydon, Norwich and Fife to name a few? Helen Kirrane, This is Money's savings reporter, replies: June's Premium Bonds £1million prize winners hailed from Stockport and Edinburgh in this month's NS&I draw. The Stockport winner was only the second ever £1million prize winner to come from the town, while the Edinburgh winner was the first £1million jackpot winner from the Scottish capital in eight years. But why was Stockport reported as the location of one of the £1million winners but the other £1million prize winner's location was reported as the city of Edinburgh which is a local authority? Other high value prize winners this month were reported as coming from even broader areas like West Midlands, as in the case of a £100,000 prize winner who won with a holding of £2,000. The answer comes down to the way NS&I reports the location of prize winners. NS&I sets rules when announcing the location of prize winners to protect identities. Each customer is assigned to a town, local authority, county or government standard region and country. When a winner is assigned to a town with less than 100,000 account holders, NS&I use the hierarchy below until it finds a level where that area has at least 100,000 Premium Bonds holders. These are: Level 1 Royal Mail Postcode Address File (PAF) Town (like Blackpool); Level 2 County or Local Authority (like Lancashire); Level 3 Government Standard Region (like North West); Level 4 Country (like Wales). Stockport falls into the bracket of place with more than 100,000 Premium Bond holders - the borough population is just shy of 300,000, which suggests at least one in three Stopfordians hold the popular products. The local authority of Stockport had 105,484 Premium Bonds holders in the June 2025 draw, according to NS&I so it was able to report the precise area the winner was from. A spokesman from NS&I says: 'Each month NS&I publishes a full list of prizes won including the winning bond number, size of holding and the location of the Bond holder. 'However, to protect the identity of individual Premium Bonds's holders we identify the location based on at least 100,000 bond holders living in the area. This could be the town or city, county or local authority, government Standard region or country.' With this month's £1million winners, there are at least 100,000 Premium Bonds holders living in Stockport. Whereas the winner from Edinburgh will come from an area with fewer than 100,000 holders and so the county or local authority area is used. Different rules for reporting Premium Bonds winners from overseas apply. For Premium Bonds holders living outside the UK, NS&I only publishes the country when there are at least 100,000 holders living there. Otherwise, they publish the area as 'overseas'. For this reason, you will never see a Premium Bond's winner listed as being from the The Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, as they fall into this bracket. Guernsey has just over 19,000 Premium Bonds holders and Jersey just over 29,000 – taken together, this is far less than 100,000 Premium Bonds holders, so NS&I would not report this as Channel Islands. The default for reporting a winner from one of these areas would be 'overseas'.
