Harry Turnbull: Banking for adults with additional needs shouldn’t be this difficult (BSL)

When my daughter Kate turned 18, I thought unlocking her Child Trust Fund would be as simple as opening a birthday present. It was her money, but she would need a hand to withdraw it and put it somewhere sensible.

Perhaps I was being naive.

Her landmark birthday became not only a gateway to adulthood but a bureaucratic machine that insisted she was now in charge while effectively locking me out. Banks, school, the doctor’s – a birthday meant she was an adult and was in control.

That sounds empowering but when a young person with additional needs is still developing confidence and experience, it becomes incredibly difficult.

The biggest challenge was banking. To access Kate’s trust account, we hit a classic Catch-22. She had no passport, no driving licence, and we couldn’t obtain her PIP documents.

I tried online, in chats and eventually we visited four different Nationwide branches. Three gave us blank walls and standard procedures that didn’t account for Kate’s situation. Only the fourth — thanks to the branch manager at Frodsham — suggested that disability support actually existed.

In the end the solution was a workaround – I decided we could open a joint account to access the money. This was not without its challenges, as the residential setting where Kate was staying was unable to help her through the banking app verification process. 

This was frustrating, particularly as a report produced only a few weeks later highlighted that Kate needed support with managing her finances and developing confidence in using her banking app.

That’s when I tracked down Kathryn Townsend, Nationwide’s Head of Customer Vulnerability & Accessibility. Her genuine disappointment in our experience led us to the tools they do have: easy-read guides, BSL interpreters – and, most importantly, Project Nemo – a programme to encourage financial services to support those with disabilities.

“Everyone deserves to manage their money with confidence, dignity, and independence,” she said, echoing sentiments that seemed to resonate with Kate’s goals for the year. “But for the 1.5 million people in the UK living with a learning disability, basic right is often denied.”

Project Nemo aims to change this reality by intentionally assembling technology already existing across fintech and banking for those who need support. As Kathryn put it, all we need are simple solutions that don’t require radical changes.

“Most adults with a learning disability want the same things as everyone else – independence, dignity, and control over their own money,” she said. “It’s not about creating new systems but using what exists to create a better experience.”

The core insight is brilliant and obvious at the same time: most adults with learning disabilities or additional needs want the same things as everyone else.

As we move forward, it’s essential that banks adapt to these needs using the latest technologies and other methods. 

Nationwide has made progress by launching a British Sign Language website translation service with Signly, along with other accessibility features.

But there are still two big gaps: corporate policies don’t always reach high street counters, and financial education in schools remains crucially important – and often overlooked.

To combat this, we need better preparation for financial literacy in education, as well as far more emphasis on providing assistance for those who need it. We can help deaf young people step into adulthood with confidence, not confusion.

By Harry Turnbull