Banks say they want to help people with mental health issues
Published On 12 May 2008
Banks have denied their lending policies are pushing people with mental health problems into debt.The British Bankers' Association (BBA) has hit back after charity MIND published a report over the weekend claiming that many people with mental health issues believed their condition was being worsened because of debt.
According to the MIND report, people with mental health issues are "particularly vulnerable to being trapped in a cycle of debt and poverty" and 87 per cent rely on credit to buy essentials like food.
However, the BBA stressed that lenders strove to "treat all cases of financial difficulty sympathetically" and worked hard to offer financial advice to people with mental health issues.
"[Banks] will treat customers with known mental health problems sympathetically and, increasingly, have staff trained to offer help," a statement from the BBA explained.
"Customers who no longer have the ability to look after their own affairs have their banking needs looked after for them but less serious health issues can be a silent problem - unless the customer wishes to let their bank know.
"Then the bank can flag accounts and will be able to factor this into any debt help required."
