Barclays online banking and mobile app down - as thousands left unable to access accounts on payday
31 January 2025, 13:34
Thousands of Barclays customers have been left unable to access their accounts online after the bank's online portal and mobile app crashed on payday.
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Customers have reported difficulties logging into their mobile banking apps, in addition to issues with the wider use of Internet banking services.
Those hoping to check their salary has entered their account on payday have been unable to do so, with reports of issues first emerging at around 9.45am.
According to DownDetector, a spike saw over 1,304 users encountering issues just after midday.
Customers say they can't access their accounts or send payments.
The issue has been acknowledged by Barclays, with the bank's site reading: "We're sorry, we're having some issues with our systems and you may have trouble using some features in our app.
"We're urgently working to fix this."
More than 50% of the reported problems related to issues with the bank's mobile banking, with a further 42% of users experiencing problems with their Internet banking.
It comes as Barclays told staff on Friday to come into the office for an extra day each week, making it the latest company to tighten its hybrid working policy.
The bank said in a memo to its 85,000 employees that they will need to come into the office for the extra day, which for most workers means three days a week instead of two.
Large corporates have been rolling back their flexible working policies brought in during the Covid-19 pandemic in recent months, with Amazon and JP Morgan both saying employees must come to the office every day.
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Barclays' client-facing staff, such as its investment bankers, are already mostly required to be in the office five days a week.
"We recognise the benefits of balancing flexibility for colleagues with the importance of working together to collaborate in our physical locations," a spokesperson for the bank said.
"Our minimum time in-office requirements vary between business areas depending on the nature of work and needs of the business."
Remote working policies were introduced by most companies during Covid-19 lockdowns, with office employees the most affected by them.
The most recent official data showed 28% of the UK workforce is in hybrid work, meaning spending some days at the office and some at home.
An Office for National Statistics survey found people get more rest and exercise when they are able to spend some days at home.
The Labour Government is changing the law to give people the right to work more flexibly.
Its upcoming Employment Rights Bill is set to make hybrid working an option for all unless their employer can prove it is unreasonable.
Earlier on Thursday, TV personality Lord Alan Sugar claimed a lot of young people "just want to sit at home" and should get back to the office.
Lord Sugar, who owns a large portfolio of London office buildings, told the BBC: "They've got to get their bums back into the office."
Advertising giant WPP has also told its 100,000 workers that they must be in the office at least four days a week.
PwC, Santander and Asda are among the other companies to have tightened their work-from-home policies in recent months.
