The bank battle
28 May 2009
The face of Australian banking has changed dramatically over the last decade; plastic cards have replaced withdrawal slips and the internet and ATMs have replaced tellers. So complete is the banking revolution, writes disability educator and Karingal client Chris Van Ingen, that people are now charged extra to conduct teller transactions. Having those fees waived means declaring yourself an old-age pensioner - even when you’re 26.
To live my life as independently as possible I have to plan every activity in advance. The mission that requires the most planning is the banking battle.
Having my own money is an empowering experience but when it comes to using the automatic teller machine (ATM) the money doesn’t automatically jump into my lap, as the name suggests.
No matter what dare devil stunt I pull with my wheelchair I can’t reach the keypad to punch in my PIN.
So what options do I have?
My first option is to ask a family member to get the money out of the bank for me. I don’t call that being independent.
My second option is to go into the branch and withdraw money through a teller but over-the-counter transactions now come at an extra cost.
I am effectively being punished because my cerebral palsy makes it impossible to use an ATM.
My wife and I asked the bank if we could work something out and were informed we could open an aged pension account, which allowed more over-the-counter transactions.
If we hadn’t asked, I am not sure that we would have learned this, which makes me wonder how many disability pensioners are currently being charged extra by the banks for the privilege of using tellers?
As a last resort, I can also use internet banking services or ask for “cash out” at point-of-sale but using a computer can be difficult for me and not all businesses offer the ‘extra cash out ‘ service.
Some people rely on others to get money out for them but this requires a lot of trust and is, unfortunately, open to abuse of power.
I now have a great relationship with the staff at my local bank branch. Staff members are well aware of my needs and I know I can ask for help any time.
I never ask for charity and there are no easy answers but I would ask banks to treat each person as an individual so we can focus on the banking and less on the battle.