What can be done to become “financially included”? All banks must offer a basic bank account to those who ask, and most banks have people working on the financially excluded sector trying to make people included.

The Government also recognises that this is a huge problem and have launched many awareness programmes to try and help people to become included, one of which is their “Now let's talk money” campaign which was launched earlier this year at www.nowletstalkmoney.com.

So what can you do to obtain a basic bank account? Most banks now require you to make an appointment to speak with an advisor to open a new bank account; they will require two different items to prove your identity, one of which should be either a Birth Certificate, Full Driver’s license, Marriage Certificate or a Passport. They will also require a Proof of Address such as an electricity or gas bill.

Before you go for your interview think about what you would ideally like the account to provide, for example: Will I be able to have my salary or benefit paid directly in to this account?, Can Direct debits be paid from this account? Can I pay standing orders? As the accounts name suggests the account is basic so they do not normally include a cheque book, cheque guarantee card or debit card. Most will provide a cash withdrawal card (Cash point card), some may also include the Electron facility to enable purchases in stores, although this type of payment card is not accepted in every store.

Why you may ask do I need a bank account? First and foremost it will help you to gain a credit record which if used correctly will help you to obtain credit at a later date. You can pay your bills directly which will cut cost as most utilities now charge extra for payments other than direct debit. This will also help you to budget your finances.

It is understandable that you may feel like Big Brother is watching your every move, and by having a bank account he will know what you are doing! But without it you are facing the likelyhood of being unable to obtain cheaper credit. Remember, some doorstep lenders charge in excess of 177%!