2012 RBS Group computer system problems
{{Use British English|date=September 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
The 2012 RBS computer system problems were technical issues affecting computers run by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (now NatWest Group), including National Westminster Bank, The Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank, which began on 19 June 2012.
In 2014, RBS was fined £42m over the incident.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-fines-rbs-natwest-and-ulster-bank-ltd-%C2%A342-million-it-failures|title=FCA fines RBS, NatWest and Ulster Bank Ltd £42 million for IT failures|date=20 November 2014|website=BBC News|accessdate=2015-05-10}}
Cause
A software update was applied on 19 June 2012 to RBS's CA-7 software{{cite news
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/jun/25/how-natwest-it-meltdown
|title=How NatWest's IT meltdown developed
|date=25 June 2012
|accessdate=25 June 2012
|work=The Guardian
|last=Arthur
|first=Charles}} which controls its payment processing system. It later emerged that the update was corrupted by RBS technical staff.{{cite news
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18561426
|title=NatWest computer glitch 'fixed but backlog remains'
|date=23 June 2012
|accessdate=25 June 2012
|publisher=BBC News}}{{cite news
|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/banking/9352573/NatWest-customers-still-unable-to-see-bank-balances-on-sixth-day-of-glitch.html
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120624172434/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/banking/9352573/NatWest-customers-still-unable-to-see-bank-balances-on-sixth-day-of-glitch.html
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=24 June 2012
|title=NatWest customers still unable to see bank balances on sixth day of glitch
|date=24 June 2012
|accessdate=25 June 2012
|work=The Daily Telegraph
}} Customers' wages, payments and other transactions were disrupted.{{cite news
|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/banking/9351101/NatWest-computer-glitch-fixed-but-backlog-remains.html
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623181155/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/banking/9351101/NatWest-computer-glitch-fixed-but-backlog-remains.html
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=23 June 2012
|title=NatWest computer glitch 'fixed but backlog remains'
|date=23 June 2012
|accessdate=25 June 2012
|work=The Daily Telegraph
|last1=Ensor
|first1=Josie
|last2=Hall
|first2=James}} Some customers were unable to withdraw cash using ATMs or to see bank account details.{{cite news
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18577109
|title=Is outsourcing the cause of RBS debacle?
|last=Peston
|first=Robert
|publisher=BBC News
|date=25 June 2012
|accessdate=26 June 2012}} Others faced fines for late payment of bills because the system could not process direct debits.
Stephen Hester, CEO of the RBS Group, said that the problem was caused by a software upgrade.{{cite news
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18582925
|title=RBS boss says software upgrade caused problems
|publisher=BBC News
|date=25 June 2012
|accessdate=25 June 2012}} Unite union leaders criticised Hester's management of the episode, but Hester denied that the outsourcing of IT services to India was a factor in the problem, saying that the bank's IT services were mostly based in Edinburgh.{{cite news
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/jun/25/unite-attacks-rbs-slashing-jobs
|title=RBS boss says outsourcing not to blame for computer glitch
|work=The Guardian
|date=25 June 2012
|accessdate=25 June 2012
|last=Treanor
|first=Jill}} A spokesman for the RBS Group said that the problem had occurred in the UK.
Impact
Completions of new home purchases were delayed,[https://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/jun/22/natwest-problems-stop-non-customers-home?newsfeed=true NatWest problems stop non-customers moving into new home] The Guardian – Lisa Bachelor, 22 June 2012 and some people were stranded abroad.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} Another account holder was threatened with the discontinuation of their life support machine in a Mexican hospital,{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} and one man was held in prison.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18589280 |title=BBC News - RBS computer problems kept man in prison |publisher=BBC|date=2012-06-26 |accessdate=2013-06-10}} As a result of the error, RBS and NatWest announced that over 1,200 of their busiest branches would extend their hours throughout the week, including the bank's first Sunday opening, to enable affected customers to access cash.{{cite news
|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/banking/9353846/RBS-glitch-well-on-the-way-to-being-fixed-says-chief.html
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626003207/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/banking/9353846/RBS-glitch-well-on-the-way-to-being-fixed-says-chief.html
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=26 June 2012
|title=RBS glitch 'well on the way' to being fixed, says chief
|work=The Daily Telegraph
|last=Hall
|first=James
|date=25 June 2012
|accessdate=25 June 2012}} On Monday 25 June, over 1,000 branches opened for extended hours, and the number of phone staff was doubled to deal with customer queries.{{cite news
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/jun/23/natwest-technical-glitch-fixed
|title=NatWest 'technical glitch' fixed, says spokesman
|last=Adetunji
|first=Jom
|work=The Guardian
|date=23 June 2012
|accessdate=25 June 2012}}
On 26 June, RBS admitted that some transactions were still affected by the problem. Ulster Bank said on Wednesday 27 June that it did not expect full services to be restored until the start of the following week, but that it hoped that the automatic payments backlog would be cleared by the weekend.{{cite news
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/jun/27/rbs-natwest-it-problems-ulster-account-holders
|title=RBS and NatWest: continuing IT problems affect Ulster account holders
|date=27 June 2012
|accessdate=28 June 2012
|work=The Guardian
|last=Bachelor
|first=Lisa}}
On 3 July RBS admitted that some RBS and NatWest personal loan borrowers had accidentally been charged twice and newspapers advised RBS customers to check their balances.{{cite news
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/jul/03/rbs-natwest-customers-loan-repayments
|title=RBS and NatWest customers 'had loan repayments taken twice'
|work=The Guardian
|date=3 July 2012
|accessdate=4 July 2012
|last=Insley
|first=Jill}}
Customers of Ulster Bank were still having problems accessing cash on 2 July and the bank admitted that they did not know when customers would be able to access cash.{{cite news
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/jul/02/rbs-it-ulster-bank-customers-without-access
|title=RBS IT fallout: Ulster Bank customers still without account access
|work=The Guardian
|date=2 July 2012
|accessdate=4 July 2012
|last=King
|first=Mark}} RBS denied that the delays with Ulster Bank meant that customers in Ireland meant less to them, saying that Ulster Bank payments followed those of NatWest and RBS. This was a result of the way the computers were set up when the three banks were merged. Monthly payments of social welfare to 48,000 Ulster Bank customers in the Republic of Ireland due on 3 July would be added to the existing backlog.{{cite news
|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0703/ulster-bank-technology.html
|title=RBS Chairman Philip Hampton warns Ulster Bank problems may continue into next week
|publisher=RTÉ News and Current Affairs
|date=3 July 2012
|accessdate=4 July 2012}}
RBS said on 4 July that the vast majority of Ulster Bank customers would have normal services restored by 16 July 2012.{{cite news
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/jul/04/rbs-ulster-bank-accounts
|title=RBS admits some Ulster Bank accounts won't be up and running until 16 July
|work=The Guardian
|date=4 July 2012
|accessdate=6 July 2012
|last=Osborne
|first=Hilary}}
On 5 July the Ulster Bank CEO Jim Brown agreed to waive his annual bonus in response to the crisis.{{cite news
|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0706/1224319513539.html
|title=Ulster Bank CEO bows to pressure on annual bonus
|newspaper=The Irish Times
|date=6 July 2012
|accessdate=6 July 2012
|last1=Carswell
|first1=Simon
|last2=Pope
|first2=Conor}}{{cite news
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18731980
|title=Ulster Bank chief executive Jim Brown will not take bonus
|publisher=BBC News
|date=5 July 2012
|accessdate=6 July 2012}}
Reaction
=United Kingdom=
The Financial Services Authority asked other banks to treat customers of RBS fairly and also demanded a complete account of the problem. Lord Oakeshott called for the bank to be broken up. Sir Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, called for a full investigation by the Financial Services Authority and told the Treasury Select Committee that he had been in very close contact with senior RBS staff over the weekend.{{cite news
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/jun/26/rbs-glitch-investigation-mervyn-king
|title=RBS glitch needs full investigation, says Mervyn King
|date=26 June 2012
|accessdate=26 June 2012
|work=The Guardian
|last=Treanor
|first=Jill}} The Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Rachel Reeves, said that it was "absolutely imperative" that the bank got the situation under control.{{cite news
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/jun/24/rbs-natwest-ulster-computer-glitch
|title=RBS promises to compensate customers affected by computer glitch
|work=The Guardian
|date=24 June 2012
|accessdate=26 June 2012
|last=Treanor
|first=Jill}}
=Ireland=
The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, and Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, criticised Ulster Bank for the situation which affected 30,000 social welfare recipients.{{cite news
|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0623/1224318509593.html
|title=Politicians criticise Ulster Bank over crash
|newspaper=The Irish Times
|date=23 June 2012
|accessdate=25 June 2012
|last1=Powers
|first1=Rachel
|last2=McGreevy
|first2=Ronan
|last3=Hennessy
|first3=Mark}} Senator Lorraine Higgins called the situation a "fiasco" and said Ulster Bank should ensure that customers credit ratings were not affected, which Ulster Bank replied it would. The Irish Bank Officials' Association said that an agreement had been made that overtime would be voluntary and that Ulster Bank workers would be paid appropriately for extra work.
The Irish Payment Services Organisation advised customers to keep records of how they were affected and to contact the Financial Services Ombudsman if they were not satisfied. There was press criticism of Ulster Bank's perceived downplaying of the issue in the early stages.{{cite news
|url=http://www.independent.ie/opinion/editorial/serious-questions-that-ulster-bank-must-answer-3147907.html
|title=Serious questions that Ulster Bank must answer
|date=25 June 2012
|accessdate=25 June 2012
|work=Irish Independent}}
The Consumers' Association of Ireland said it had received thousands of complaints from Ulster Bank customers. The Oireachtas Committee on Finance called on representatives of the Central Bank of Ireland to appear before it on 4 July and management of Ulster Bank to do the same on 5 July.
=RBS statements=
On the first Monday after the start of the problems, RBS said that their computers were operating normally, but that Stephen Hester had sent a senior colleague to Dublin to deal with the situation in Ulster Bank. On the same day, some customers still could not see up-to-date account details.
On 27 June RBS announced that it had cancelled its corporate hospitality at Wimbledon as it would be inappropriate under the circumstances.{{cite news
|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0627/1224318804398.html
|title=Ulster Bank says no one will be 'out of pocket'
|last=Carroll
|first=Steven
|date=27 June 2012
|accessdate=28 June 2012
|newspaper=The Irish Times }}