My bank account was frozen or closed

Starts

the day and time your bank receives the levy. The account is frozen from that moment. Ask your bank the date and time it received the levy, and count from that date, not from the day you found out.

If missed

The bank sends the frozen money to the IRS. A release does not cancel the debt: the IRS works with you on a payment plan or other steps.

It lets you

contact the IRS in that time to arrange payment, or to tell it about errors in the levy. Call the number on the levy notice today, not a number from a message. If the levy stops you paying basic, reasonable living costs, ask for it to be released for economic hardship. The IRS says a wage levy that causes immediate economic hardship must be released, and a bank levy that does may be. The levy does not normally reach money you add to the account after the levy date.

Only if the IRS froze your account.

Where this differs: A wage levy is different: it continues with each paycheck, and part of your wages is exempt. If the money in the account belongs to someone else, for example a parent whose account you share, the owner or their power of attorney should call the IRS and say so. If the IRS caused the error, you may be able to claim back bank fees on Form 8546.

Checked 10 October 2026 at Internal Revenue Service

How long

There is no number of days for you to wait: act as soon as the bank freezes anything or the notice arrives. The bank has to review your account within 2 business days of receiving the order, and has to protect two months of benefits paid in by direct deposit. The bank's notice and the court papers give the dates for claiming an exemption for any other money; those dates come before this page.

Starts

the day your bank receives a court order (a garnishment order) against your account. For an ordinary debt, CFPB says a collector has to sue you and win a judgment first, and then get a court order. If your bank freezes or takes money, you must be sent a notice of the garnishment that explains how to claim exemptions.

If missed

if you receive benefits by paper check and deposit it, the bank does not have to protect two months' worth, so the whole balance could be frozen until you go to court and prove it is benefit money. Money above the protected amount can be frozen or taken. You can sign up for direct deposit at any time.

It lets you

keep using up to two months' worth of Social Security, SSI, VA, Railroad Retirement or federal civil service benefits paid into your account by direct deposit, without having to claim anything, when the order is from a private collector. For any other money that is frozen, ask the court to release it as exempt: CFPB says to tell the court, the bank and the collector in writing at once that it is protected benefit money, and to get help from a lawyer.

If a creditor's court order froze your account. When the order is from a private collector, up to two months of Social Security, SSI, VA, Railroad Retirement or federal civil service benefits paid by direct deposit are protected without asking. For any other money, including other federal money, the papers give a date to claim it is exempt: act on it at once.

Where this differs: The automatic protection covers Social Security, SSI, VA, Railroad Retirement and federal civil service (OPM) payments paid by direct deposit. It does not apply when the order is from the US government or a state child support agency: then Social Security can be taken for some government debts, child support and spousal support, though SSI is protected even then. CFPB lists other protected federal money, such as military pay, federal student aid and FEMA aid: claim it through the court. Wages and state benefits follow your state's law: ask legal aid.

Checked 10 October 2026 at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

How long

Ask the bank the same day, in writing, what it needs from you and when it will decide. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) give no set number of days for a bank to hold your money, to warn you before it closes your account, or to send you what is left. Your deposit account agreement and your state's rules decide, so read the agreement and ask your state's banking regulator.

Starts

the day you find you cannot use your money, or the day you learn the account is closed. Write down the date and time, and keep every email, text and letter from the bank.

If missed

No date is lost, but waiting leaves you without the money, and bills and rent can bounce. If the account was closed with an unpaid negative balance, the bank usually reports it to a checking account reporting company, and the balance can be passed to a debt collector: see the account report clock. You can also be reported if the bank suspected fraud on the account.

It lets you

ask the bank for the reason, the amount it is holding, and how and when the money will be released or sent to you. The CFPB says a bank typically returns the money left in an account when it closes it. If the freeze followed a deposit the bank credited by mistake, the OCC says the bank may freeze only up to the amount of that deposit. If you think the freeze or closure was wrong, complain to the bank's regulator (for a national bank, the OCC), and to the CFPB, which sends your complaint to the company.

Where this differs: The OCC's HelpWithMyBank site covers national banks and federal savings associations. Credit unions and state banks have other regulators: ask your bank which one, and use the CFPB complaint form either way. A freeze that comes from a court order, an IRS levy or a benefits overpayment follows the other clocks on this page.

Checked 10 October 2026 at Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (HelpWithMyBank.gov)

How long

Ask any time: Chex Systems gives one free report every 12 months on request, and the CFPB says it must send it within 15 days. If you were turned down because of a report, ask for the free copy within 60 days of getting the notice. If you dispute something in the report, the company has 30 days from the day it gets your dispute to look into it, free of charge, or up to 15 days more if you send it more information during that time.

Starts

the day the bank or credit union closed your account, or the day it turned you down for a new one. If you were turned down, it must send you a notice that names the reporting company it used: count the 60 days from the day that notice reached you, and ask sooner if you can.

If missed

after the 60 days, the free copy you can still count on is the yearly one. A mistake you leave in the report can keep banks turning you down. Chex Systems is not the only company: Early Warning Services also reports on checking accounts, so ask the bank which one it used.

It lets you

see what the bank reported about the closure, and dispute anything wrong. The CFPB says to dispute it with the reporting company and also with the bank or credit union that reported it. The company that gave the wrong information must correct it and tell the other reporting companies. A bank may also open a lower-risk account for you, or ask you to clear an old balance first: ask.

Where this differs: Banks use different reporting companies, and the notice names the one used. Chex Systems and Early Warning Services both report on checking accounts. The big three credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) usually do not hold checking account history, but a debt passed to a collector can reach them. Your state may add rights, never fewer.

Checked 10 October 2026 at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

How long

You can ask the court for money to live on at once: you do not have to wait for the hearing. The court's papers give the hearing date: that date comes before this page. Citizens Advice says the final hearing should be at least 28 days after the interim order. To oppose the order, file written evidence of your objections as soon as you can, and send copies to the court and the creditor. The latest is 3 clear working days before the hearing: do not count the day you file, the hearing day, weekends or bank holidays. For a Friday hearing, that is the Monday before. Expect to attend.

Starts

the day your bank froze your account. The bank gets the court's interim order at least seven days before you get your copy, so count from the day the freeze began, not the day the letter arrived. The order only catches money in the account on the day the bank received it.

If missed

Citizens Advice says an interim order is made final unless you show good reasons. Then the bank pays your creditor either the amount that was in the account on the day it got the interim order, or enough to clear the debt. Money paid in after that day is not caught, and the creditor can only take enough to clear what you owe.

It lets you

oppose the order, and ask for a hardship payment. Citizens Advice lists reasons that can work: a joint account where the other holder does not owe the debt, money that belongs to someone else, a debt small enough to pay by instalments, hardship, or an overdrawn account. For a hardship payment, apply on form N244 with proof of your income and bills. GOV.UK says you can apply at any county court hearing centre, but only to one court, and only as one person (not a company), and you must show you or your family cannot meet daily living costs. A judge can order the bank to release one sum, or sums over several weeks, until the hearing.

Only if a court order froze your account.

Where this differs: England and Wales: Citizens Advice's pages for England and for Wales say the same. Scotland uses bank arrestment and Northern Ireland uses garnishee orders through the Enforcement of Judgments Office: see the Scotland clock, and ask Advice NI in Northern Ireland. The Child Maintenance Service can take money from an account for unpaid child maintenance without going to court, and so can HMRC for some tax debts: see the HMRC clock. Hardship payments are for one person, not a company.

Checked 10 October 2026 at GOV.UK (HM Courts and Tribunals Service)

How long

30 calendar days. HMRC must receive your objection within that time, by Royal Mail 'signed for' post to the address HMRC gives: DM, Direct Recovery of Debt, HM Revenue and Customs, BX9 2ED. HMRC says you cannot object by telephone. If you posted it to another HMRC address, send it again to this one.

Starts

the date HMRC sends you a copy of the hold notice, which is its letter to your bank or building society. HMRC counts from that date, so count from the date printed on the notice, not the day it reached you.

If missed

if HMRC does not get an objection in time, and you have not paid in full or agreed a payment plan, it tells your bank to take the money on hold and send it to HMRC. If HMRC turns down your objection, you have the right to appeal to a county court: send the appeal within 30 calendar days of the date you receive its decision letter, and send HMRC a copy.

It lets you

stop the bank sending the money on hold to HMRC, if one of HMRC's grounds applies: you have paid all or part of the debt; no relevant sum was due when you got the notice; you did not hold the account; the hold causes exceptional hardship to you or someone else; or someone else has a share in the account. Explain why and include evidence. HMRC says it can only hold money if at least £5,000 is left across all your accounts, and it decides on an objection within 30 working days. Call HMRC to check the amount or agree a payment plan (Time to Pay), but a phone call does not count as an objection.

Only if HMRC put a hold on your account (not in Scotland).

Where this differs: Not in Scotland: the law for this power covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland only. In Scotland HMRC uses a bank arrestment: see the Scotland clock and ask Citizens Advice Scotland. The HMRC page gives the county court appeal route for England and Wales and for Northern Ireland. For a joint account, HMRC assumes you each own an equal share and must tell the other holder a hold was placed. HMRC says it uses this power only for tax and tax credit debts of more than £1,000, and that an individual gets a face-to-face visit from HMRC first. Companies are treated differently.

Checked 10 October 2026 at GOV.UK (HM Revenue and Customs)

How long

Your notice says when the account closes: ask a large bank for a basic account now. The bank has to give you at least two months' notice for an account opened before 28 April 2026, and at least 90 days for an account opened on or after that date; those are the least it may give, not the date for you. A large bank has to open or refuse a basic account without undue delay, and at the latest 10 business days after it receives your complete application.

Starts

the day the bank sent you its notice of closure, by letter, email or app message. The closing date written in the notice is your date: it comes before anything on this page. If you cannot tell when the account was opened, go by the closing date in the notice, plan for the shorter notice (two months), and ask the bank.

If missed

after the closing date the bank can stop the account. Pay, benefits and direct debits that still use it can fail. Ask the bank in writing, before the date, how any money left in the account will be sent to you. Basic accounts have no overdraft and no cheque book, and the bank can only close one for the reasons the rules list.

It lets you

move your money, pay, direct debits and benefits to a new account before the closing date. For an account opened on or after 28 April 2026, the notice has to explain the reasons in enough detail for you to understand them, and say how to complain to the bank and to the Financial Ombudsman Service, unless an exception applies. The rules for basic accounts say that if the bank has told you it is closing your account, you can say so when you apply and you are not counted as holding an account. A bank that refuses a basic account has to tell you the reason in writing, and how to complain, unless it may not lawfully say.

Where this differs: UK-wide rules. Some closures can happen with no notice or very little. For an account opened on or after 28 April 2026, the bank may act at once if it suspects serious crime or cannot finish its identity checks, or give notice without delay if you threatened its staff or gave it wrong information when you opened the account. For an older account, your terms decide. A bank does not have to tell you the reason if telling you would be unlawful. The Financial Ombudsman covers England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: see the Ombudsman clock. A basic account is for someone legally resident in the UK who has no other account with the same features, or cannot get a full account; the bank may refuse if opening it would be unlawful. Some banks have already moved older accounts to the longer notice, so read your terms. Business accounts have different rules. Citizens Advice's page on getting a bank account is written for England.

Checked 10 October 2026 at legislation.gov.uk (Payment Services Regulations 2017, regulation 51B)

How long

The first £1,000 in your accounts at that bank is protected and you can still use it. 14 weeks, counting the day of service as the first day: at the end of it your bank sends the rest to the creditor on its own, unless you agree to it earlier or an objection or application has been made to the court first. Get advice now: anything you send the court has to be in before the 14 weeks end.

Starts

the day your bank was served with the schedule of arrestment. If the account was frozen before the court case ended, the 14 weeks start instead on the day the bank was served with a copy of the final court decree. Ask the bank for the date. If you cannot find out, count from the day the freeze began: that is never later.

If missed

the bank sends the frozen money above the protected £1,000 to the creditor on its own.

It lets you

use the protected £1,000 now. For most debts under £25,000 you can apply to the court, or the First-tier Tribunal (Housing and Property Chamber), for time to pay, once for each debt: Citizens Advice Scotland says that suspends the arrestment. Time to pay cannot be used for income tax, VAT, car tax, or money owed for divorce or maintenance, so ask an adviser which route fits your debt. You can also object if it causes your family undue hardship, if a court has allowed you time to pay, or if the creditor used the wrong procedure. Some money in your account, such as child benefit, should not be frozen: ask an adviser to help the bank separate it. If you have a joint account the bank will usually freeze all of it, and you may need advice to argue that part is not the debtor's.

Only if a creditor froze your account.

Where this differs: Scotland only. HMRC uses this route in Scotland, not a hold notice. There is no protected amount for business accounts. If you hold accounts at several banks, the protected £1,000 counts for each bank, but accounts in one banking group count as one bank. Some creditors, such as the Child Maintenance Service and the DWP for benefit overpayments, can freeze an account with no court process. Scotland also has a 6-month moratorium that stops creditors arresting your bank account, which a money adviser can apply for. A debt of £5,000 or more goes through a different court procedure: get advice from an adviser the same day. Northern Ireland and England and Wales use other routes: see their clocks.

Checked 10 October 2026 at Citizens Advice Scotland

How long

6 months. You must complain to the bank, building society or payment firm first. It has up to 8 weeks to deal with your complaint, then you can go to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is free: call 0800 023 4567, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm

Starts

the date on your bank's final response letter. If the bank has not answered after 8 weeks, count from the end of those 8 weeks. If both dates apply, count from the earlier one

If missed

the Ombudsman may not be able to look at it. It still can if the bank agrees, or if something exceptional, such as being too ill to act, caused the delay; the bank's letter should say whether it agrees. Contact the Ombudsman even if you are late. Do not go to court first: if you do, the Ombudsman cannot look at it later

It lets you

ask the Financial Ombudsman to look at your case if the bank says no, says it will take no action, or has not sorted your complaint in 8 weeks. If the Ombudsman decides you have been treated unfairly, it has legal powers to put things right. You do not need to pay anyone to complain for you

For a freeze or a closure you complain about: complain to the bank first.

Where this differs: The Ombudsman covers England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is also an outer limit of 6 years from the problem, or 3 years from when you knew about it if that is later

Checked 9 October 2026 at Citizens Advice