Barclays Bank Apologizes for Weekend Service Disruptions and Addresses Customer Concerns

Barclays Bank has publicly apologized to its customers following a weekend of technical difficulties that resulted in significant service interruptions and delayed payments. According to the bank, the issues have been addressed, and all pending payments that were affected are now processed, enabling customers to use the mobile app and online banking services as well as make withdrawals and use their cards. A spokesperson confirmed that they are actively working to update account balances for those still experiencing issues.

The outage began on Friday and was found not to be linked to a cyber attack. The bank has offered reassurances to customers unable to meet their tax obligations due to the disruption, noting that they will not incur penalties from HMRC for late payments ahead of the January 31 deadline, which also marked the first payday for many individuals since Christmas.

One notable case involved Paula Mereu, a 39-year-old civil servant, who shared her family's distressing experience of being left homeless due to a failed house payment transaction. After successfully selling their previous home, the Mereus were unable to complete the purchase of their new house due to the bank's technical glitches, forcing them to temporarily stay with relatives while their belongings remain in a moving van. Barclays has advised customers with compensation inquiries to reach out directly to the bank for assistance.