For #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek, we’re doing a series of blog posts about why we care about mental health at Monzo, and what we’re doing to support our staff and customers.
Today we’re focussing on our Vulnerable Customers team, who look after our customers in need. Here’s a blog post explaining what they do -
They’re also taking over our Twitter today and doing our Community Q&A this week.
Get involved!
This is one of my favourite areas of finance 
Hi,
I am very interested in your Vulnerable Customer Team, I am currently a Complaints Investigator with Santander. I arrived in that position after 15 years working in the substance misuse field helping to rebuild clients lives through and after addiction. I was inspired to reach out after reading the background info of your current team. Where do Monzo advertise ?
Hi 
Did you mean advertise staff vacancies?
yes i did, thanks for the link
I absolutely love the idea of this team, and personally, as someone who could easily fall into the category that might need their assistance, I can say that they will be invaluable to customers that find money worries extremely worrying and stressful!
Just another reason I’m telling everyone I know about Monzo as much as I can.
Whilst I love the idea of a vulnerable customer dept, I’m not sure that stating so overtly that you assist with recovery is setting your stall out for a good relationship.
I’m a Borderline of 30+ years standing and, yes, there are periods of impulsive transactions in my life but I’m pretty high functioning and like to think I have it (fairly) under control.
Now, by specifying heavily the word ‘recovery’ you are instantly making me feel like I’m at a disadvantage and somehow not to be trusted. Now why on earth would I tell my bank of my condition when it actually could impact my day-to-day banking needs and when you are automatically putting me in a position of mistrust?
The attention you are giving is appreciated but I fear the execution means that that people who are ‘vulnerable’ but not in trouble will not reach out until it is too late. Surely that defeats the object…
@anon75190258, every customer is treated on a case by case basis. You just described how you feel about the process. I am currently working a technical file review project where I have to assess vulnerable customers and how it would have improved the customer journey/experience if their vulnerability had been taken into account. Ii can tell you that after reviewing thousands of cases, it would have made a huge difference in those cases. It is a good thing that financial institutions put this information out there for a customer that may find themselves in difficult situations to know that help is available when they need it. It may not be applicable for everyone and it does not state that every vulnerable customer should be considered.
In most cases it involves the firm to write the customer and request further information on their circumstances and contact the firm if they require further help and in that sitiuation, it is up to the customer to come forward if they require any assistance,
I think this is a great idea. I have suffered with some pretty bad money issues a few years ago, fourtunatly I have a very supportive family who have helped me out of it and I’m slowly re building my credit rating.
Also mental health is something very close to my heart having had some personal experiences with it over the years. I am an armed forces mental health first aider and have completed the conversations with vulnerable people course run by the Samaritans.
Well done monzo it’s a great thing as so many suffer in silence for to long, the more open we can be the better.
I’ve been a vulnerable customer since 2017, I never knew the team existed and have never reached out to me during my time of need. I especially needed them today and nothing…
I only know of one person of the team who frequents the forum and that is @natalieledward. Hopefully now I’ve tagged her she can reach out.
Or @simonb could kindly give the team a nudge?
Hope you manage to get in touch soon 
Thanks you are a diamond pal
Just out of curiosity how would you have expected them to reach out to you?
Do you think there is something that should have triggered them to reach out to you?
The only way i can possible think of how they could do so is if you contact them first through chat if there is a certain thing youd like to mention with them?
I did not even know this team existed! 
So sorry to hear you’ve needed some support today. We’d love to help. If you haven’t already, you can reach out to us via chat and explain your situation, this then should get escalated to our team of specialists who will pick it up.
Alternatively, if you don’t feel comfortable sharing your circumstances through chat then you can search the word ‘share’ in the help section you should find our Share with us tool, which will allow you to disclose directly to the specialists and won’t leave a trace in the app 
Hope this is helpful!
Hi there,
I am currently going through a tough time as I have been a made a victim of fraud and identity theft. Well someone reached out to me asking for my bank card and details, saying that he was going put some money in my bank account.
I honestly didn’t know that that person was a fraudster, and I was dumb and sent him my card and bank details. Now my account is shut and I don’t know what to do, as I am about to start working. I need a bank account so I can put all my earnings and wages, when I get paid.
I tried applying for an account with Monzo this morning, but my application got rejected, due to being a victim of fraud and identity theft. Can I someone please help me, because this thing is difficult for me mentally, because I without a bank account I won’t be able to get any job, or my life can won’t have purpose without any source of income, because how will pay my bills or get money.
Please help, please guys. Thanks
You could try Starling bank for an account if you urgently need one
Did they say they’d put money in your account and you were to transfer it out and keep a bit for you?
No they said they were doing a give-away, and I agreed. But after they received my card and details, they just went blank and the next thing I got was letter from the bank saying they are shutting my account.
Must of been something like that. I’ve had quite a few people come to me with the same line. You can make big money I just need your account.
My answer to them was yeah really? Why don’t you use your account as you know since your coming to me there must be something in it for you? If things go south who’s account would they be closing? Mine yeah? If police are called because of fraud who’s door will they be knocking? Mine yeah? See ya later…The vast majority of them have just looked at me dumbstruck, I remember one of them just laughing.
I was a teenager/early 20s when the above happened but I’m not falling for that one.