NatWest and RBS websites down: Online banking outage hits users across UK

Customers can get around outage using direct links

The NatWest and RBS websites are down, leaving users unable to manage their account.

It is just the latest in a string of issues for both banks, which have been repeatedly hit by IT problems this year.

The banks said that users should get in touch directly if they have any immediate issues, and that they were working hard to fix their websites.

"Our website is currently unavailable. We're working hard getting it back up and running for you," Natwest wrote on Twitter. "We’ll post an update when we have more information. In the meantime, please use our mobile app or contact us if you need urgent help."

It also said that people could access online banking by using direct links. While the main websites are broken – and so it is not possible to find the link to online banking – clicking through directly should work, the banks said.

The NatWest link can be found here, while the RBS one is here.

Natwest and RBS have been hit by the most issues of any bank in the last three months, according to research by the BBC reported last week. NatWest had been hit by 25 different outages 12-months to the end of June, it said.

Both banks' websites are completely broken, meaning that even navigating to the homepage will not work. As well as stopping people from being able to login through the website, it means that all information stored on those pages is unavailable.

“We are aware that customers are currently experiencing issues accessing our websites and online banking login pages," an RBS spokesperson said. "We apologise for the inconvenience caused.

"We are aware of the problem and are working hard to fix it. Customers can still access Online Banking via direct links, they can use their mobile app, ATMs, telephone banking, or visit their local branch.”

The banks did however suggest that their apps are still working as normal, and that customers with pressing issues could message the bank through that for more help.

They did say however that the problems mean that there may be a delay in hearing back.

"Customer support wait times may be longer than usual," NatWest warned on Twitter. "Please bear with us."