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Is Agency Asking for Bank Statements for Gaps of 3 Months or More Unreasonable?

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    Is Agency Asking for Bank Statements for Gaps of 3 Months or More Unreasonable?

    The agency referencing me for a next gig with a bank has requested personal bank statements to cover contract gaps of 3 months or more for the last 5 years. I have had a couple of gaps back in 2012 due to personal health reasons which I don't particularly want to disclose with the agency. It's going to be a pain getting statements from this far back, apart from the fact that it seems very intrusive. What are the reasons for them requesting this firstly? Secondly, I have more than one personal bank account i.e. another one for bills/standing orders. Does it matter which bank statements I provide or from which account, depending on exactly what they are looking for, which I am not sure what that is?

    #2
    Pretty normal and quite reasonable. Its to check you've not been for a long trip to a camp in Afghanistan, detained at her Majesty's pleasure and just generally being at large in society as a normalish person would. Probably a host of other things but that is a bit irrelevant to you TBH.

    You've two choices. Supply them and take the gig or don't and don't.
    Last edited by northernladuk; 20 November 2016, 12:58.
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      #3
      Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
      Pretty normal and quite reasonable. Its to check you've not been for a long trip to a camp in Afghanistan, detained at her Majesty's pleasure and just generally being at large in society as a normalish person would. Probably a host of other things but that is a bit irrelevant to you TBH.
      How are they going to know that from your bank statements? Look for repeated transactions from Tescos in Kabul?
      Will work inside IR35. Or for food.

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        #4
        This is the latest brown envelope. Someone invented a necessary step that costs bucks. Background checks. I have had a few done on me in depth. I know for a fact that they have not checked the data I provided. They just want you to provide everything and then they do nothing, or do it so slowly that you have done 3 months of the gig before they pull you up on a missing year in your residential addresses.

        Most of this is outsourced these days.

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          #5
          Originally posted by VectraMan View Post
          How are they going to know that from your bank statements? Look for repeated transactions from Tescos in Kabul?
          Not sure this requires a response but the way it was explained to me is to look at what you were doing. If you account goes silent it needs looking in to. If you were still shopping buying petrol etc then all is well. Probably more to it but only the vetting people are likely to know.
          'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

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            #6
            Totally usual, been through a lot of these, some care less about gaps than others. Some will ask for an explanation of them, some will ask for that plus the bank statements.
            The Chunt of Chunts.

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              #7
              Surely not personal statements ? Business activities maybe but have never been requested for personal statements.
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                #8
                Originally posted by kaiser78 View Post
                Surely not personal statements ? Business activities maybe but have never been requested for personal statements.
                You are kidding right? It's not the business that sits in front of the computer and is a risk to the client.

                Next you'll be saying SC should be done on the business only.

                :
                'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by kaiser78 View Post
                  Surely not personal statements ? Business activities maybe but have never been requested for personal statements.
                  Have you actuality provided.'personal' statements of the account that you use on a day-to-day basis? It is incredibly intrusive for someone to be analysing my daily spending activities. If it's usual than I would guess I should do it but what sort of conclusions/presumptions would the client make and how is the information used? That is why my thoughts are to provide statements for an account I just use for my monthly standing orders and direct debits. It just seems odd as I wonder whether there is this much scrutiny made of applicants applying for permanent roles within a same financial organisation.

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                    #10
                    They aren't analysing your day to day spending. They are doing a risk assessment on you. Can you not appreciate that this is common sense when giving people access to finacial systems? They will be looking various flags to see if you could be a problem. Are you heavily i debt, can't pay your way month in month out and a ton of other stuff that might put you in a position to abuse their systems.

                    I am a bit surprised you don't think this is to be expected in such a heavily regulated area of business and where money is involved.

                    What do you think they should do? Just give access to every Tom, Dick and Harry that turn up whatever their levels of debt and money problems are? If you are going to be a supplier you are going to have to understand your clients a bit better than this.

                    Of course permies are checked. Might be different as they aren't short term suppliers but they will be checked.
                    'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

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