Bank service for cancer sufferers extended to customers with other conditions

A banking support service for people affected by cancer is being extended by Britain's biggest building society to help customers with a range of other life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.

Nationwide Building Society first launched the specialist support service, in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, in October 2015.

Now it has announced plans to extend the service to customers living with the impact of other conditions, including those affected by heart disease, stroke and motor neurone disease.

Nationwide said it will start to roll out the extended service in 57 branches in North Wales and areas of north west and south west England.

More than 650 customers have accessed the service for one-to-one support on managing their finances following a cancer diagnosis since it was launched.

The support on offer includes immediate help as well as longer-term management of their finances and it is tailored to the individual customer, who will be allocated a case worker.

Depending on what products the customer has with the society, Nationwide said the range of support can include mortgage payment holidays, reduction or removal of interest on the customer's credit card, or help with claiming on a critical illness policy.

While the service is telephone-based and managed by a central team at Nationwide's Swindon headquarters, employees at 57 of the society's branches across North Wales and areas of northern England and south west England - including Bristol, Cheltenham and Swindon - have been given training on how to identify and refer customers who may benefit.

The training will be rolled out to the entire branch network later in the year.

Nationwide said 86% of people who have used the current service have been referred from its staff in branches or call centres, or they have contacted Nationwide directly having seen the information online.

Around 14% of customers have been referred from the society's partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support.

Nationwide said it has also referred customers coming directly to the service back to Macmillan, which has enabled customers to unlock more than £102,000 worth of benefits-related financial help that they may not otherwise have been aware of.

Mandy Griffin, Nationwide's head of customer experience delivery, said: "A diagnosis of a life-limiting or life-threatening condition can turn someone's life upside down. At such a time, money should be the last thing on your mind."

Lynda Thomas, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support said: "Nationwide's specialist support service is proof that the banking industry has a vital role in helping to minimise the financial impact of a cancer diagnosis and other illness. It's great the service is being expanded to help other vulnerable customers who will benefit from having specialist support."