The firms and technology working towards financial inclusion
On November 19, leading voices in the fight against financial exclusion came together to discuss ways of tackling financial exclusion in Scotland.
The Financial Lives survey published in 2019 reports that half of the UK's adult population display signs of potential vulnerability.
Caroline Stevenson, Legal Director at Womble Bond Dickinson says: "If it isn't a top priority of the banks then they're neglecting the needs of half of their customer base.
"That said, there are lots of examples out there of banks doing good things in the space of vulnerability."
Two such examples are Monzo's account gambling flag to deter account holders from funding their gambling addiction through their Monzo account and TSB's fraud guarantee scheme for victims of fraudsters.
With financial exclusion being such an extensive issue, Caroline admits there are an "endless" number of barriers getting in the way of people trying to claw their way out of a vulnerable financial position.
For Caroline, the key barriers are credit worthiness checks and identification.
"Identification is key," she says, "because without an identity you can't access financial services."
Womble Bond Dickinson was instrumental in the publication of The Scotsman's Talking Money supplement published earlier this year.
Inside, they discuss vulnerable customers, access to financial services, financial literacy and credit worthiness.
To hear more from Caroline Stevenson, watch the video in the player above.