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'FREE' MONEY
Major bank ATMs giving out ‘FREE CASH’ due to ‘glitch’ with dozens of customers queuing at machines as IT chaos drags on
People were queuing up in their pyjamas
SCORES of people queued up at ATMs across the UK in their pyjamas to withdraw "free" cash thanks to a Barclays bank glitch.
The hashtag #barclaysglitch was trending on socials as bank customers raced to their near cash machine to take out £250.
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However, a bank spokesman has confirmed today - with the tech issue now resolved - "any funds will be debited from their account".
The glitch also saw customers unable to access their accounts for over 24 hours, leaving many stranded and without funds for their daily lives.
As a result, crowds of angry people were seen lining up outside Barclays branches on Saturday afternoon.
The problem began on Friday, which was pay day for many Brits.
Those who needed to pay their bills or check if their salary had been paid into their account were unable to do so.
It was also the deadline to file an online self-assessment tax return and pay the tax you owe.
Barclays said the problem was not related to a cyber-attack or malicious activity.
'FREE' £250 CASH
However, it appeared the tables quickly turned, with account holders reportedly able to get a "free" £250 through cash withdrawals and online purchases.
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Many took to TikTok to spread the word to other customers, with one user detailing an in depth explainer about how Barclays customers could utilise this glitch.
"I’m actually howling at how many people are in their pyjamas at the cash machine because of this Barclays thing," said one TikToker in Liverpool.
Switch bank accounts for free perks
"The whole of the UK is taking out money, people queuing up for money, free money," said another user as the #barclaysglitch tag gained traction across the social media platform.
Another user warned that the cash isn't actually free, adding: "ENJOY PAYING IT BACK."
Police were preventing people in north London from withdrawing cash, informing the public it is not actually "free cash".
Paola Mereau, 39, was among the customers affected by the outage, and said her and her family were left homeless after payment for their new home was unable to go through.
Ms Mereau had sold her home in Uxbridge and her family, including her husband and two daughters, aged one and seven, were due to move to West Sussex on Friday.
She told : "We drove down to (West Sussex on Friday) and we had all our things in a moving van and were waiting outside and unfortunately, around one o'clock, my solicitor calls and says Barclays is having some issues and we are unable to complete the sale.
"So we sold our house - we had the money from that - but we were unable to complete the other part of the sale so we are essentially homeless."
How can I check if my bank is down?
THERE are a few different ways to find out if your bank is experiencing an outage.
Senior consumer reporter Olivia Marshall explains how you can check.
If you're trying to send money to someone, or you just want to check if you have enough cash for a coffee, finding your online banking is down can be a real pain.
Most banks have a dedicated news page on their website to show service problems, including internet banking, mobile apps, ATMs, debit cards and credit cards.
You can also check on any future work they have planned and what it might mean for you.
Plus, you can check websites such as Down Detector, which will tell you whether other people are experiencing problems with a particular company online.
A Barclays spokesperson said on Sunday: “The technical issue impacting our customers on Friday and Saturday has been resolved and delayed payments processed.
"Customers can use our app, bank online, call us, use their cards and withdraw cash. We are working on bringing balances up to date for some of our customers and addressing any outstanding issues.
"We are very sorry for any disruption and will ensure that no impacted customer is left out of pocket.
"We are keeping our call centres open for longer this weekend and we will be proactively contacting customers who may be vulnerable."
They added: “Customers can use their debit cards to withdraw cash from ATMs, up to their daily limit.
"Any funds will be debited from their account.”
HMRC said yesterday it was "working closely" with Barclays to minimise any impact on those submitting their self-assessments and that HMRC services are "working as normal".
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Any issues related to the Barclays outage will not result in late HMRC payment penalties as these do not apply until March 1, a spokesperson added.
Have you been affected by this issue? Email [email protected]