App not working: Halifax, Lloyds, and Bank of Scotland online banking apps problems, down on payday - news

• Thousands of customers were locked out of mobile banking apps early on payday morning
• Users reported apps crashing or freezing when trying to log in from around 5am
• The issues affected multiple banks under the same group, sparking widespread frustration
• Some fear missed payments and lack of access to wages due to the outage
• It's the latest in a string of banking app failures to hit on key financial dates

Thousands of bank customers were left locked out of their accounts this morning (July 31) on payday – as major mobile banking apps crashed yet again.

Users of Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland began reporting issues with their mobile banking apps from around 5am, with complaints flooding outage tracker Downdetector.

Most users described apps crashing immediately upon opening or being unable to log in altogether.

It’s the latest in a series of frustrating app meltdowns for customers of Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands – and once again, it’s fallen on the day millions of people get paid.

By mid-morning, thousands of reports had been logged across the three banks, with Lloyds seeing the highest number of complaints.

Customers on social media vented about missed bill payments, lack of access to wages, and anxiety over not being able to transfer or spend money.

Lloyds Banking Group confirmed there was a technical issue but stopped short of calling it a full-blown outage.

A spokesperson said: “Our app is up and running, although we know it's taking some customers a bit longer than usual to get logged on. Our advice is to wait a few extra moments or try again.”

But for many, the app wasn’t just slow — it wasn’t working at all. Some users pointed out that the app had received a recent update, which may be linked to the crash.

This isn’t the first time Lloyds and its sister banks have suffered app failures on key dates.

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In May, thousands were affected by an outage that coincided with payday, and a February incident saw widespread issues at Lloyds, Halifax, First Direct, and Nationwide.

Customers are losing patience, particularly when these technical hiccups repeatedly land on important financial days.

What to do if you can’t access your money

If you urgently need to make a payment or access your account, here are your next steps:

• Try again later – it’s basic advice, but in some cases the issue resolves within hours.
• Visit a branch – if you're physically able, this can help if online access fails.
• Call your bank – they may be able to help process urgent transactions manually.
• Use social media (with caution) – reach out via official bank accounts for updates, but never share account details publicly.
• Keep records – note down when the issue occurred and how you attempted to resolve it. This is important if you want to complain or seek compensation.

While banks don’t automatically offer compensation for technical issues, you may be eligible for some form of redress if the outage caused, missed bill payments, late fees, loss of earnings, or other direct costs.

You’ll need to provide evidence — such as screenshots, time logs, or receipts — and file a formal complaint via your bank’s customer service or website.

If your bank refuses to help or doesn’t respond within eight weeks, you can escalate the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service. It’s free to use and will make a ruling based on what’s fair and reasonable.

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