Britain's TSB hit by IT failure again leaving customers without wages

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s TSB Bank has been hit by another IT failure, after systems problems overnight meant thousands of customers woke up on Friday to find wages and vital payments had not reached their accounts.

Thousands of customers took to social media to complain, with some saying they were unable to pay for rent, bills and school meals for their children.

“What an absolute joke @TSB is, I wake up expecting my wages to be in my bank and there’s nothing there,” one customer said.

Others said they could move to other lenders. “What a shambolic company, need to switch banks I think,” one said.

TSB, owned by Spain’s Sabedell, apologized for the problems on Twitter and said it would ensure customers were not left out of pocket. It advised customers to contact them if they needed emergency cash.

The IT failure comes just days after TSB was heavily criticized in a law firm report this week for its handling of a major IT crash last year that locked nearly two million customers out of their accounts.

The problems left some customers unable to access their money for weeks and led to a surge in fraud attacks, forcing out the then Chief Executive Paul Pester. The new CEO Debbie Crosbie is set to announce a new strategy for the bank on Monday.