The small tweak might make a distinction for purchasers.
Nationwide has up to date its app to assist survivors of financial and home abuse (Picture: Getty)
Nationwide has up to date its banking app to assist survivors of financial and home abuse. Prospects will have the ability to disguise cost references on incoming transfers within the Nationwide app, taking energy away from perpetrators and giving prospects the selection over what others do and don’t see.
The constructing society is the primary excessive road financial institution to launch the characteristic, and it’s exploring how this performance may very well be prolonged to Virgin Cash prospects. Kathryn Townsend, head of Buyer Vulnerability at Nationwide, stated it places the “management again with the shopper, the place it belongs”. She added: “Home abuse doesn’t cease and begin at bodily hurt; it could attain into on a regular basis programs, together with banking.”
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Knowledge from Surviving Financial Abuse estimated that one in 62 ladies within the UK, round 4.2million, have skilled financial abuse by a present or former companion.
Nationwide exemplified the dimensions of the abuse with the growing variety of individuals supported by its Specialist Help group, who’re skilled to establish indicators of abuse. Final yr, they assisted 312 prospects, in contrast with 213 the earlier yr.
Sam Smethers, CEO of Surviving Financial Abuse, stated: “For much too lengthy, home abusers have exploited on a regular basis banking instruments, like cost references, to harass and management survivors even after separation.
“Nobody ought to really feel scared when accessing their very own cash. We’re proud to have labored with Nationwide to co-develop this software alongside survivors, giving them larger management by empowering them to cover abusive cost references.”
Ms Smethers urged different banks to comply with swimsuit, by “closing down loopholes for abusers and ensuring survivor security is on the coronary heart of each product and repair”.
The brand new characteristic builds on the three‑stage warning letter course of launched in April 2025 to warn prospects who ship abusive cost references or misuse repeated low‑worth funds to keep up undesirable contact and management, which is recognised as a type of financial abuse.
Completely different banks and constructing societies can work collectively on this, and in circumstances the place Nationwide intervened, the behaviour stopped and the cost reference was amended after the primary warning letter. If the case is escalated, it could lead to account closure.
This builds on Nationwide’s dedication to assist individuals affected by home and financial abuse, together with Protected Areas throughout 430 Nationwide branches, the place anybody experiencing home abuse can entry specialist assist companies in personal.
It additionally companions with Refuge, the UK’s largest home abuse charity, serving to survivors entry skilled assist and rebuild their lives safely, with 56 referrals made since June 2025.
Ms Townsend urged home or financial abuse survivors to hunt assist in a department, in a Protected Area, at Assist | Nationwide, over the telephone or on-line, or on the Surviving Financial Abuse’s web site.
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