UK Banking issues
 

My Portman BS has been taken over by Nationwide. One side affect is that I can no longer do correspondence banking, i.e. I cannot send them my passbook with written instructions. Nationwide will not let me open a web-access account because I am not a UK resident.

Out of interest, and knowing the money laundering laws, I tried to open an account at a local BS and at Natwest using my UK driivng licence and a recent Dividend cheque (with the same address on it). Neither company would let me open an account because I did not have a utility bill with the same address. I have had accounts at both of them in the past.

As my Mother is now in a Nursing Home and therefore the house is empty, I am going to to try to have her water bill transferred to my name at the same address. Then I'll try again next call.