HTB
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HTB / Vulnerable Customers / Our Commitment to Customers

Customer vulnerability

Our commitment to customers

Customer vulnerability can come in various forms and guises and can be temporary, sporadic or permanent in nature. However we at Hampshire Trust will always endeavor to help and support our customers through any life events that may make them vulnerable.

Vulnerability triggers

Hampshire Trust considers the following non-exhaustive examples as triggers of customer vulnerability in its operations and will look to provide appropriate support in all scenarios.

Health Lifestyle Resilience Capability
Physical Disability Caring Responsibilities Low or Erratic Income Low Knowledge of Confidence in Managing Financial Matters
Severe or Long Term Illness Bereavement Over Indebtedness Poor Literacy or Numeracy Skills
Hearing or Visual Impairment Income Shock Low Savings Low English Language Skills
Poor Mental Health Relationship Breakdown Low Emotional Resilience Poor or Non Existent Digital Skills
Low Mental Capacity or Cognitive Impairment Having non standard requirements such as ex offenders, care leavers, refugees Lack of Support Structure Learning Impairments

 

We believe the best way to identify a potential vulnerability is to gather an understanding of your circumstances, so in the instance that a vulnerability may occur, there is nothing to worry about, we will always look to:

  • Listen to you and try to understand how your situation may be impacting your finances and ability to manage your account. We will pay particular attention to whether you mention anything that could indicate a vulnerability (E.g. mention of illness, hospital stay or treatment, diagnosis, depression) in order for us to, where required support you to the best of our ability.
  • Check whether you have had previous discussions with us so we can avoid duplicated conversations and enable us to tailor our approach to your specific needs.
  • Be proactive in identifying any indicators that you may need a little extra support from us.
  • Ask questions to obtain a full understanding of your situation in order for us to fully establish what we can do to tailor our approach to any specific needs you may have. For example would you need any additional assistance such as documents in Braille or a clearer/slower explanation of the product.
  • Encourage you to speak openly. We are committed to ensuring that you are achieving the most appropriate customer outcomes and that we provide you with the best service that we can.

Should you need to contact us about a potential vulnerability or any concerns, please contact us using the correct telephone number below to speak to someone who can support you:

  • Specialist Business Finance – 020 7862 6220
  • Specialist Mortgages – 020 7862 6220
  • Development Finance – 020 7862 6220
  • Savings – 020 7862 6220

Should you require any additional guidance or support with regards to a vulnerability or additional services available to you such as braille and/or large print, please contact HTB directly.

 

Available services

Alternatively if you would like any additional support from a number of services available on the internet, please use the following links to help you through this difficult time:

External Service Telephone Number Website
UK Government N/A https://www.gov.uk/
The Office of Public Guardian (OPG) 0300 456 0300 https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-of-the-public-guardian
MoneyHelper 0800 138 777 https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/
Citizens Advice 0800 144 8848 (England) / 0800 702 2020 (Wales) https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
The Samaritans 116 123 https://www.samaritans.org/