NORWICH CREDIT UNION

Covid-19 Member Information

Last updated: 12/01/2022

We appreciate that the current pandemic will be creating difficulties for some of our members. As your Credit Union, we treat the health, wellbeing and financial concerns of our members with the utmost concern and are closely monitoring the situation and responding on the basis of Government and regulatory advice. The climate is constantly changing and we will keep our members updated with this page.

Office Opening

To reduce person-to-person contact, our office opening times are restricted; however, we are beginning to offer face-to-face services for those he need it, both in our Pottegate office in Norwich and in our Great Yarmouth service points at DIAL's premises.

We will continue to do all we can to deliver our services online, by email, phone or text and thank you for your patience and understanding through this difficult period.

To make contacting us easier, we are committing to Opening Times for our phone number (01603 764904);

  • Monday to Wednesday: 10:30-12:30 & 1:30-2:30
    Friday & Saturday: 10:30-12:30 & 1:30-2:30
  • Since the pandemic began, we have adapted our approach to enable a more online customer service experience including the ability to remotely assess loans and acquire compliant e-signatures for loan agreements and other documents.

    Loans

    We understand that the current crisis will affect some members' finances and their ability to pay back their Credit Union loans. We ask you to stay in contact with us and we will do whatever we reasonably can to help you through this period.

    For example, if you are struggling to keep up with your loan repayments, we can discuss options that benefit both you and the Credit Union as a whole. If you simply stop paying your loan, it affects our organisation and all our members.

    One option might be to make loan payments from your savings, if you have enough shares. If you are eligible and can prove that your income has been reduced as a result of the pandemic, another option might be to reschedule your loan with a lower regular repayment or agree a short term payment 'holiday'.

    Credit Unions operate under a different regulatory regime to banks and so we will be operating on a case-by-case basis. In this way, our members and the regulators can be confident that we are acting both sympathetically and prudently.

    Support

    For further support, we would direct our members to Citizens Advice or the Norfolk County Council's Coronavirus page.

    The Money Advice Service has created a Money Navigator Tool to offer money guidance for anyone experiencing the following;

  • Your income is down and you're worried about your future finances
  • You've been furloughed and need help to get back on track, including after a payment holiday
  • You're facing redundancy or have lost your job
  • You're self-employed and work has dried up
  • You want to make the most of any money you've saved during lockdown
  • The Money Navigator Tool will ask you a series of quick questions about your current situation and give you an action plan, including advice on which organisations can help in your specific scenario.

    The Money Advice Service is a free and impartial money advice service set up by the UK Government and is an arms-length body of the Department for Work and Pensions.

    We would like to thank all our members for their patience and understanding during this difficult time and hope you all stay safe and healthy throughout this unprecendented period and beyond.