We’re committed to caring for vulnerable customers

Responding to the needs of customers in vulnerable circumstances isn’t just our duty; it’s our passion.

With almost half (47%) of UK adults experiencing characteristics of vulnerability, it’s vital that we’re there for our customers in the moments that matter.

That’s why we invest heavily in our vulnerable customer programme. And just like vulnerability, our support comes in all shapes and sizes.

Find out how we’re supporting you and your employees.

 

What could make your employees vulnerable?

Any one of us could find ourselves in vulnerable circumstances at some point in our lives, and many of your employees could be affected right now.

People can experience vulnerabilities in lots of different ways. At Standard Life, we focus on the four key drivers of vulnerability:

  • Health

    Conditions or illnesses that affect people’s ability to carry out their day-to-day activities.

  • Life events

    Major life events such as bereavement, job loss or relationship breakdown.

  • Financial resilience

    Low ability to withstand financial or emotional shocks.

  • Financial capability

    Low financial understanding or low confidence in managing money.

How we can support you and your employees through times of vulnerability

  • Instant access to digital tools

    Employees can access a range of digital tools to help build up their financial confidence and resilience. This includes our financial wellbeing platform, Money Mindset, plus planning tools, financial education content, and Homebuyer Hub to support first-time buyers.

  • Online support with money worries

    Our everyday money worries hub gives employees practical tips and resources to help them manage when their financial resilience is low. We also design inclusive communications to provide extra support and reassurance to employees who need a helping hand.

  • Samaritans-trained frontline colleagues

    Our frontline customer teams are trained by the Samaritans on active listening techniques. These interactive e-learning sessions – plus our Samaritans Listening Wheel – give them the skills to support employees when they need it most.

  • Embedded culture of caring

     

    Caring for vulnerable customers underpins our entire culture. To help us walk in the shoes of others, in training we use immersive VR and technology such as gloves simulating arthritis plus glasses for simulating visual impairments. We also use behavioural science to identify indicators of potential vulnerability.

  • Accessible formats


    We work with Sight Scotland at The Scottish Braille Press to provide fast and secure accessible formats of our communications. Plus, we’re looking at ways to harness the opportunities AI could bring to improve the readability of our communication formats.

  • Helping the wider community

    We support our wider community to promote digital inclusion. In collaboration with Good Things Foundation, we launched our Digital Skills Hubs. And our Digital Champion Network supports the community with in-person digital skills training.

How many people are affected by vulnerability?

As part of Phoenix Group, the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business, we led research into how vulnerability is affecting our customers. Across our Standard Life customers we found that:

  • 7 in 10 display one or more characteristics of vulnerability

  • 1 in 2 have low financial capability

  • 3 in 10 are struggling to some degree to keep up with bills / commitments

Our vulnerable customer team is here for your employees

Our dedicated Head of Customer Vulnerability Riffat Tufail, and some of our other colleagues, talk through how we support members during times of vulnerability. 

Awards and recognition for our work with vulnerable customers

  • Boring Money Vulnerable Customer Support Award 2024

    We’re a Highly Commended winner for putting empathy at the heart of our response to vulnerable customers.

  • CCA Excellence Awards

    We're the proud winners of the CCA award for the most effective Vulnerable Customer strategy in 2022 and 2023.

  • Engage Awards

    We won the Best Customer and Employee Engagement Programme award in 2023, in recognition of the positive impact our training has on our customers.

  • UK Customer Experience Awards

    In 2023, we won Gold in the ‘Best Learning and Development – Large Company’ category, for our vulnerability training and use of innovation in closing the empathy gap.

What next?

  • Financial wellbeing for your employees

    Helping your employees plan their finances with confidence.

  • Why choose Standard Life?

    Let us tell you a bit more about Standard Life, our goals, products and clients.

  • Member online experience

    Find out more about the online experience offered to members including online dashboard and mobile app.