I was declared Bankrupt in 2003 and discharged in 2005. Sadly it's been impossible to obtain either a full current account or debit card ever since.

Last year Citibank were offering a basic 'sterling' account with a debit card. Many people with bad credit or former bankruptcy successfully obtained this account. At the time, Citibank credit vetting procedures were not very strict for this basic account. Sadly, Citibank changed the terms and conditions due to the sheer numbers of people applying for it. Now your application will be subject to a standard credit check and the chances of obtaining this account is slim. Unfortunately, I found out about it all too late, but many others were lucky enough to slip n the back door.

If you wish to apply for a basic bank account with a debit card there are two possible options that I'm aware of:

1) Halifax Easycash. They've recently changed this account, so that you are now supplied with a Visa/Electron card.
2) Cooperative Bank. They have a basic cashminder account and this also comes with a debit card I believe.

Failing this, there is always the Prepaid card option. These cards are not usually subject to credit checks. If you desperately wish to obtain a debit card, this may be the only solution.

The best example of this that I've come across is the Lastminute.com prepaid card. It's a prepaid Maestro debit card. It costs £6.99 for the card and can be topped up via a postoffice, paypoint or online free of charge. There is no monthly fee, but every ATM transaction or Purchase is subject to a 2.75% charge. Personally, this is a small price to pay for the convenience of a debit card and I've applied for one failing every other debit card avenue.

There are other cards out there, but they are much more expensive and the prepaid Mastercards come with a hefty £5 a month fee before any of their other charges.

When will these banks start treating us like human beings and not Lepars! :-(