Post Brexit transition – Information for customers
1 May 2021
10 min read
Here we detail the latest information for customers and answers to frequently asked questions following the end of the Brexit transition period.
Information for customers residing in the UK
Information for customers residing in the EU
Useful content for customers from our partners
Information for customers residing in the UK
Following the end of the Brexit transition period will there be any impact upon my ability to continue to bank with you as an individual customer or business customer?
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as a UK based bank, there will be no change to how you can bank with us
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it is business as usual and we have taken action to ensure continuity for customers with the products they have and the service they get from us.
Will I see any changes to any of my personal or business product rates now that the Brexit transition period has ended?
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we will continue to monitor any impact on the wider financial markets that may occur following the end of the Brexit transition period and we will update customers if any changes are needed as things progress.
Information for customers residing in the EU
I am a customer that is based outside of the UK, what will the end of the transition period mean to me?
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we communicated directly with our customers with an account address in the Netherlands following the advice from the De Nederlandsche Bank (Dutch National Bank). As we are not legally able to provide cross-border banking services to Dutch retail customers from December 31 2020, we are closing the accounts for those customers
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there are no immediate changes to how customers of other EU and EEA countries operate their account. However we are closely monitoring the situation and will need to review any announcements that may be made by regulatory authorities of other EU and EEA nations. We’re committed to providing you with as much notice as possible should any changes be required
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there is also some advice available on the Gov.co.uk website.
Information for all customers
Is my personal money safe with the Bank following the end of the Brexit transition period?
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yes, as is the case with the wider industry, customer money continues to be protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, up to a total of £85,000. This limit is applied to the total of any deposits you have with The Co-operative Bank, smile and Britannia
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we are continually monitoring for any announcements from EU or EEA countries and will review any announcements made to understand what that might mean and any impact it might have on the financial markets and confidence within the industry.
Is my business' money safe with the Bank following the end of the Brexit transition period?
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yes, within the current criteria of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, up to a total of £85,000 is protected for most businesses
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we are continually monitoring for any announcements from EU or EEA countries and will review any announcements made to understand what that might mean and any impact it might have on the financial markets and confidence within the industry.
Will you contact me to move my money or change any of my security details following the end of the Brexit transition period?
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we will not contact you to move your money to another account or ask you to change your security information following the end of the Brexit transition period. We would only contact customers to make you aware if there is an impact on our ability to continue to offer banking services due to an announcement from an EU or EEA country that requires us to stop offering services to customers who reside there
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customers should be vigilant and aware that some opportunistic fraudsters may try to take advantage of any uncertainties customers might have and attempt to contact customers with Brexit focused scams. In particular, if you are due to send a payment to somebody and receive an email or call to say that the beneficiary sort code and account number has changed, always validate the request by contacting the company directly using established contact details before sending any money
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customers should ensure they keep up to date with the fraud information on our website and read any fraud education and awareness information we send to them
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suspected scam emails can be sent to: ihaveseenascam@co-operativebank.co.uk if you have any concerns about any contact you have received please contact us
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be wary of calls out of the blue as criminals can manipulate the caller display on your phone. Never give out any financial or card details without verifying the caller first. Call them back on a trusted number from their website or from the number on the back of your bank card
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never tell anyone the verification codes that we send to you in a text or email. These are for you and only you to use when banking online
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for industry fraud advice visit Take Five.
Will overseas services such as money transfers be impacted following the end of the Brexit transition period and cost more or take longer?
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we will continue to service customers with overseas transfers in line with the current offer we have and there is no change in the time this service takes or cost of it expected. If any such change were to happen we would communicate this accordingly.
Where can I find further information?
Personal banking customers:
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Financial Conduct Authority: How Brexit could affect you
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Gov.uk: Transition.
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Financial Conduct Authority: Considerations for firms after the transition period
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Gov.uk: Transition.
SME Brexit Support Fund
The SME Brexit Support Fund is a new government grant scheme open to small and medium-sized businesses that have up to 500 employees and a yearly turnover of no more than £100m. The scheme aims to provide eligible business with up to £2,000 to help them adjust to new customs procedures, rules of origin, VAT and safety and security declaration requirements when trading with the EU and Northern Ireland.
Eligibility for the grant includes:
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that you have been established in the UK for at least 12 months before the date you apply to the fund
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that you import or export goods between Great Britain and the EU, or move goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
To find out more about the full eligibility criteria, how to apply and what you'll be able to use the grant for, visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/grants-to-help-small-and-medium-sized-businesses-new-to-importing-or-exporting
Useful content for customers from our partners
For customers who want to read more about what the end of the Brexit transition period means for them and their business we have worked with some of our key partners to share some of their content and have also listed useful links of where to find more content that may support customers during this time.
The Federation of Small Businesses has a Brexit transition hub which contains relevant links, resources and content to support small businesses through this period and will be continually updated with new information and insights into any new announcements.
The Greater Manchester Chamber of commerce has a Brexit hub and is also supporting small businesses with their questions via emails to exportbritain@gmchamber.co.uk.
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