What to do if…
your bank places a hold on a large deposit and you cannot access the funds

What to do now

1. List the urgent payments for the next 72 hours.
   Write down rent or mortgage, utilities, childcare, travel, prescriptions, food, loan payments, and direct debits due soon. If something may fail, contact that payee today, explain that your bank has placed a hold on a deposit, and ask for a short extension or a pause on charges, arrears action, or service problems where possible.

2. Contact your bank through a trusted route.
   Use the number on the back of your card, the official banking app, secure messaging, or a branch. Ask:

   • “Is this a deposit clearing delay, a payment review, or an account restriction?”
   • “What exactly do you need from me before the funds can be made available?”
   • “Where should I upload or provide documents securely?”
   • “When should I next receive an update?”
   • “Can any part of the deposit be made available for essential bills?”

3. Prepare proof of where the money came from.
   Banks may ask about the source of a large or unusual deposit. Gather the documents that fit your situation, such as:

   • sale completion statement for a house, car, or other asset
   • solicitor letter, invoice, receipt, or contract
   • payslip, bonus letter, employer letter, or tax refund notice
   • inheritance, probate, executor, or insurance settlement paperwork
   • gift letter and evidence of the transfer from the giver, if the bank asks for it
   • cheque image, paying-in receipt, or transfer confirmation

4. Send documents only by the bank’s secure route.
   Use secure upload, secure messaging, a verified branch process, or another route the bank confirms through its official channel. Do not send documents through a link in an unexpected message.

5. Say clearly if essentials are affected.
   Use plain wording: “This hold means I cannot pay for essentials.” Ask whether the bank can:

   • make any confirmed funds available
   • help with essential payments
   • pause or refund charges caused by the hold
   • note your account so staff give consistent information
   • confirm the next step in writing

6. Keep a simple timeline.
   Record the date, time, team, staff name or ID if given, reference number, what you were told, and what you sent. Save secure messages, letters, screenshots of notifications, and receipts for documents provided.

7. If the bank cannot explain much, ask what you can do next.
   Banks may be limited in what they can say during some fraud, security, or compliance checks. You can still ask what documents they can accept, where to send them, whether any essential access is possible, and when the next update will happen.

8. Start a formal complaint if essentials are affected or you are getting no clear route forward.
   Ask the bank to log a complaint and confirm it in writing. For many payment services complaints, firms generally have 15 business days to provide a final response, and in exceptional circumstances may take up to 35 business days if they explain the delay. For many other banking complaints, firms generally have up to 8 weeks. If you are unhappy with the final response, or the bank does not respond within the relevant timeframe, you can usually ask the Financial Ombudsman Service to look at it.

9. If anything about the deposit feels like a scam, stop moving money.
   Do not return money, buy gift cards, transfer funds to “unlock” access, or follow instructions from the sender. Contact your bank through a trusted route, say you suspect fraud or a scam, and ask for the fraud team.