Barclays is quietly transferring unexpected payments into customer accounts following a recent disruption that affected access to banking services. The issue, which occurred earlier this year, left many users locked out during a particularly sensitive financial period.
Reports of compensation ranging from £50 to £600 have surfaced online, with some recipients unsure of the reason behind the deposits. According to GB News, the move is part of a broader effort by the bank to address the aftermath of the outage.
Payments Linked to January System Failure
The incident, which occurred in late January, was triggered by a software malfunction in Barclays’ mainframe operating system. The resulting outage lasted several days and affected a large number of customers, many of whom were relying on access to their funds at the end of the month.
The disruption coincided with payday for millions of UK workers and the deadline for HMRC self-assessment tax returns on January 31. Many users were unable to complete essential transactions, including bill payments and tax submissions, with some incurring late penalties as a result.
Varying Compensation Amounts
In response, Barclays has begun distributing a total of £7.5 million in compensation. The amount each customer receives depends on how severely they were affected by the outage. While some have reported receiving £50, others have been paid up to £600.
Payments have appeared in customer accounts with the reference “Barclays UK Refu”, leading to confusion among some recipients. On social media, several customers expressed surprise upon receiving unexpected deposits :
Does anyone have any idea why Barclays would send me a payment for £50?
Barclays just refunded me £600?? I don’t know what’s going on down there but I will be taking that money.
Did anyone else randomly receive 50 pounds from Barclays?
Notification and Payment Timeline
Most compensation payments have been processed during the week. According to the bank, more complex cases may face delays. Letters have been sent via post to notify affected customers, although in many cases, the funds have appeared in accounts before the letter arrived.
Customers who believe they should have received compensation but haven’t are encouraged to contact Barclays directly. A spokesperson for the bank confirmed that Barclays has responded to inquiries from the Treasury Select Committee, stating :
We welcome the opportunity to engage with the Treasury Select Committee and responded in detail to the questions the committee raised.
They added :
Supporting and serving our customers remains our number one priority. We continue to work hard to keep all our services available.
