John's story
John was struggling with gambling and realised he needed help.
At first, John was gambling for enjoyment – and he knew when to stop. But after a few years, he found himself taking bigger risks and betting money he didn’t have. His social and work lives began to suffer as he started missing commitments.
John ignored our calls – he was trying to avoid talking about missed payments and didn’t think we could help. But after speaking to his family, they encouraged him to phone us to find out what support was available.
How we helped
John called us and got through to Amy in our support team. She quickly recognised John needed help with his account and gave him the time to explain his situation without judgement. Amy reassured him we were here to help.
- Amy and John went through his finances and agreed a repayment plan. She made sure the agreement didn’t impact his priority bills like rent, council tax and utilities.
- Amy gave John the contact details of a national gambling support charity. He explained to Amy he was already getting help from his local service.
- With a plan agreed and support in place, Amy set up regular calls to stay in touch throughout John's repayment plan.
As time went on, John got back in control of his account. The payment plan ended and Amy made sure he knew the best ways to manage his account, including through the Vanquis app. John is now in control of his finances and recovering from his addiction with continued local support.
John made the first call, even though he was worried no one would help because of his situation. But he was relieved to find support was available – and now encourages anyone in financial difficulty to reach out to their bank for help.
If you relate to John’s story or need help with financial difficulties, please call us on 0330 099 3002*. We’re here to listen and understand your situation, not judge. If you contact us, we can make sure you’re supported in the best possible way.
*Call charge information
Network charges may apply. Calls to 01 and 03 numbers from UK landlines and mobiles are normally included in free plan minutes if available; otherwise calls to 03 numbers cost the same as calls to 01/02 prefix numbers. Calls to 0800 or 0808 numbers are free from mobiles and landlines.
You can find our opening hours and contact information on our contact us page.