Lloyds Banking Group updates on customer support measures

• Bank to contact more than one million customers coming to the end of mortgage, card and loan repayment holidays

• Branch colleagues called more than 500,000 local customers to check on their well-being during lockdown

• Over 97% of branches open and hours extended as lockdown restrictions ease

Lloyds Banking Group continues to support its customers during the pandemic.

Support for older customers, the vulnerable, and key workers

• We set up dedicated new phone lines for the over 70s and for NHS workers. We’ve now taken over a quarter of a million calls across the two services since the end of March, allowing us to prioritise supporting these customers with their urgent needs.

• In addition, our branch colleagues have proactively made over half a million well-being calls to customers local to them, explaining the support available during the outbreak and, where appropriate, signposting to local community organisations and voluntary groups. 

• Through our new partnership with WeAreDigital, a specialist phone line has been introduced to help customers access the internet and learn new skills such as online shopping and connecting virtually with family and friends.

• The number of over 70s registering for internet banking has tripled compared to the same period last year. We’ve also added new colleague video guides to our websites showing customers how to meet many of their most common banking needs online.

• For those needing face-to-face support with their urgent financial needs, over 97% of our branches are open, and we’ve recently extended opening hours from 10am – 2pm to 9.30am – 3.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Payment holidays

• More than one million customers have now had payment holidays approved for mortgages, personal loans, credit cards and car finance. Customers can apply for a repayment holiday using our simple online forms.

• We are already contacting customers who are reaching the end of their repayment holidays to support them in restarting payments. For those who may not yet be in a position to restart their payments we’ll be able to work with them to identify suitable options. For mortgage customers this may include applying to extend their current payment holiday.

• We are also proactively contacting customers who have cancelled direct debits so they understand the options available to them and to ensure they are aware of the consequences of stopping a direct debit versus requesting a payment holiday.

Current accounts and overdrafts

• Customers who are facing travel disruption are benefiting from the additional insurance and support provided with packaged back accounts including the Halifax Ultimate Reward Current Account and Lloyds Bank Platinum account. More than 35,000 travel insurance claims have been processed and 100,000 queries answered.

• All customers can now access a new travel disruption tool on our websites, to help them understand the best options available in managing cancelled or rearranged trips, including advice on reclaiming spent funds.

• Packaged bank account customers with breakdown cover have had their policies extended at no extra cost in June to ensure they can benefit from the AA’s home start service. Tens of thousands of customers using their cars for the first time in weeks have benefitted already from this extension.

• More than nine million personal current account customers with arranged overdrafts can benefit from fee-free overdraft borrowing up to £500 until 9 July.

Easier payments and access to cash

• More than 14 million contactless card transactions have been made for values of between £30 and £45 since April. This means 14 million fewer chip and PIN touchpad transactions since the contactless limit was increased. Contactless now accounts for more than 70% of all face-to-face debit card transactions.

• Over the past month our customers have deposited an average of 146,000 cheques per week using our mobile cheque deposit service. This is up by almost 50% compared to pre-lockdown levels.

Vim Maru, Retail Director, Lloyds Banking Group, said: "Our colleagues are working tirelessly to support customers as we all continue to deal with the impact of the pandemic. We want to be there for our customers when they need us and that’s why we’re proactively contacting anyone coming to the end of a payment holiday, to ensure they are fully supported, and understand the options available. We’ve also extended our branch opening hours to ensure more customers have access to face-to-face help should they need it.”