Who are Barclays?
Barclays is one of the UK’s largest high street banks. Its personal current accounts and overdrafts are provided by Barclays Bank UK PLC, the ring-fenced bank owned by Barclays PLC. Barclaycard credit cards come from the same company.
In December 2020 the FCA fined Barclays £26 million over how it treated customers who were in arrears or financial difficulty between 2014 and 2018. More than £273 million was paid back to customers on at least 1.5 million accounts.
Can I claim against Barclays?
You could, if any of these sound familiar:
- 01In your overdraft most of every month
- 02Wages in, straight back into the red
- 03Your limit went up while you were maxed out
- 04Charges kept coming, and nobody got in touch
Limit increases count too. Each one was a lending decision, so each can be looked at.
What you could get back
Average overdraft claim£2,0231
Overdraft interestRefunded
Fees and chargesRefunded
Interest on your refundAdded
Missed payment markersRemoved
Refunds usually run from when the bank should have stepped in. If you’re still overdrawn, a refund may reduce what you owe rather than being paid in cash.
Ombudsman decisions about Barclays
Published Financial Ombudsman decisions show how complaints like these are judged. Where a complaint is upheld, it is often only from a certain date or for certain lending. Every complaint is decided on its own facts, so these are examples, not a guide to what you’ll get.
- Upheld
The bank should not have raised the limit to £5,000 in September 2017, and should have stepped in by September 2018. It was told to refund interest and charges on the balance above £4,200 from September 2017, and all of them from September 2018.
Read decision DRN-4501274 - Upheld
A long-running student account overdraft: the bank failed to act on signs of financial difficulty once interest started being charged in March 2023.
Read decision DRN-5835365 - Not upheld
The overdraft had stayed interest-free, so there was no loss to put right.
Read decision DRN-5976330
Barclays overdraft questions
Can I claim if I’m still overdrawn?
Yes. If the complaint is upheld, the refund may reduce your balance rather than being paid to you in cash.
Will my overdraft be taken away?
It can be. If a complaint is upheld, the bank may reduce or remove the overdraft and agree an affordable way to repay what’s left.
How long does Barclays have to reply?
Eight weeks. If Barclays hasn’t sent a final response by then, or you’re unhappy with it, the complaint can go to the Financial Ombudsman, normally within six months of the final response.
How far back can I claim?
Usually six years from the lending, or three years from when you realised you had cause to complain, whichever is later. Where an account is still running, the ombudsman has sometimes looked back further.
Complain to Barclays yourself
You don’t need a claims company. You can complain to Barclays directly using its complaints page. If you’re unhappy with the answer, or it hasn’t replied within eight weeks, you can take it to the Financial Ombudsman. Both are free.