Five UK Banks Pilot Bank Accounts for Homeless Without Fixed Address

Five major UK banks — Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest, Barclays, Nationwide Building Society, and Santander UK — partnered with the homeless charity Shelter to pilot a programme offering bank accounts to homeless individuals. The pilot waives the traditional requirement for a fixed address, removing one of the most significant barriers to financial access for this population. The initiative forms part of the broader UK Financial Inclusion Strategy.

Each participating bank contributes its existing account infrastructure while adapting KYC and onboarding processes to accommodate applicants without conventional documentation. The programme aims to give homeless individuals access to basic banking services including payments and salary receipts, which are essential for securing employment and housing. The partnership illustrates how embedded finance and flexible account provision can address systemic financial exclusion.

No financial terms were disclosed, and the pilot's duration and scale were not specified.