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Money Box: Ukrainian refugees struggling to open UK bank accounts

23/04/2022

Ukrainian refugees struggling to open UK bank accounts

BBC Radio 4 - Money Box, Ukrainian refugees struggling to open UK bank accounts

British Red Cross says urgent steps needed to allow refugees to open bank accounts faster.

Some Ukrainian refugees are now getting a warm welcome from their British hosts and the local school - but not from their local banks.

Ukrainian refugees are now beginning to arrive in Britain under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.   Money Box has been contacted by two host families having difficulty helping their guests open UK bank accounts.  Karina, a doctor, escaped from Kyiv and with her mother and her 5 year old daughter.  They then travelled 1,700 miles to London. They are being hosted by Roger Corke and his family. They need a bank account to get benefits and give them some financial independence.  We'll hear about their experiences and get a response from the banks and the government.   

Energy company bosses have been grilled in Parliament this week by MPs unhappy about price rises that critics are warning could push millions of people into fuel poverty by the end of this year. Also discussed at the same meeting was the issue of credit balances - when suppliers hold onto customers' money above and beyond what they actually owe. We'll hear from a listener about that and discuss plans by the energy regulator Ofgem to put in place more regulation to protect credit balances.

Also, one listener's experience of opening a new bank account and his shock at realising he also had access to three accounts from another couple.  We'll investigate that. 

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researcher: Sandra Hardial
Editor: Jess Quayle

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