Customers of Nationwide, First Direct, Lloyds, Halifax, and TSB faced widespread online banking disruptions on Friday, leaving many unable to access their wages as salaries and bills were processed.
The technical failures, which coincided with the end-of-month payday rush, prevented some users from logging in, viewing balances, or making payments. It marks the second consecutive month that major UK banks have suffered IT outages at this critical time.
Widespread Disruptions Across Banks
Service status website DownDetector reported a surge in complaints from customers unable to access their accounts. Meanwhile, TSB admitted to “intermittent” issues, with a spokesperson blaming “industry-wide problems” and pledging to resolve them quickly.
Nationwide acknowledged that some payments were delayed, though standing orders and direct debits continued functioning normally. First Direct confirmed it had experienced payment processing issues, but later stated the problem had been resolved.
Lloyds and Halifax also apologized to customers, admitting that “some are having issues with internet banking and our apps.”
Recurring IT Failures Raise Concerns
The latest disruptions follow similar outages at Barclays, Lloyds, and Halifax in late January and early February, which also coincided with payday. The recurring nature of these failures has raised concerns about banking infrastructure and IT resilience.
Keith Budden, managing director at Ensurety, warned that the issue is becoming more than just an occasional frustration.
“This isn’t just an annoying niggle anymore—it’s a payments pothole that needs fixing. Either banks need to rapidly upgrade their systems or address the possibility of cybersecurity threats.”
What’s Causing the Outages?
Industry experts suggest that the sheer volume of transactions on payday is placing strain on banking IT systems. Chris Skinner, a fintech specialist, noted that banks often schedule software updates for quieter weekend periods, which may inadvertently create errors at peak payroll times.
“Technology is evolving at an incredible pace, and both regulators and banks are struggling to keep up. Frequent Friday outages suggest that banks need to rethink how they schedule maintenance and upgrades.”
Calls for Stronger Oversight and Investment
With thousands of customers locked out of their accounts on payday, pressure is mounting for regulators to demand greater resilience from banks. Consumer advocates and financial experts are urging banks to invest in more robust IT systems to prevent further disruptions.
As banks work to restore services, many affected customers have taken to social media to voice their frustration—raising broader questions about whether UK banking infrastructure is keeping pace with the demands of the digital economy.
