A disabled pensioner has been left effectively unable to buy more Premium Bonds after an NS&I in-person service has been removed.
The daughter of the 87-year-old saver contacted NS&I after she struggle to buy more Bond’s on her mum’s behalf.
She said in a message over X including a screengrab of an attempted transaction: “Tried to purchase using this account and it’s been rejected saying it’s wrong. Please can you help?”
The provider responded to first ask when she made the transaction and if she had used the Premium Bond holder’s number as the payment reference.
The woman responded to say she had used her NS&I number as the reference and asked if this was not the correct way to do it.
NS&I replied: ” The reference would need to be your holder’s number as that is the number which is specific to your Premium Bonds.
“As you used the NS&I number, this is why the payment was rejected.”
The woman thanked the group for clarifying this and spoke of her exasperation, saying she was “losing the will with technology”.
She then asked if she could get NS&I application forms from the Post Office.
The group said: “You are no longer able to get application forms from the Post Office – you can either find them on our downloads and forms page linked below, or we can send one to you if you call us on 08085 007 007.”
The message included a link to this webpage which has links to several forms that can be downloaded.
But the woman was unhappy with this response, saying: “This is where the system fails.
“My mum is 87 – no internet etc., doesn’t even have a mobile phone but she visits her Post Office weekly.
“At 87 she’s also hard of hearing so is reluctant to use landline. I’m trying to sort for her but the system is ageist.”
The NS&I respresentative offered a potential solution to the problem, stating: “If you called us, we’d be able to send the forms to her address, as long as you’re able to provide her information.”
Express.co.uk has asked NS&I for comment.
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