Co-op Will Writing Service Refuses Client Due to Birthplace, Not Citizenship Status
A UK resident born in Russia but holding dual citizenship with Germany has been refused service by the Co-op's will writing service due to their country of birth. The individual, who wishes to remain anonymous, had submitted a request for an updated will, including their partner and daughter as beneficiaries.
The client was initially told that the request had been cancelled because they were born in Russia, despite having revoked their Russian citizenship over 20 years ago. A follow-up appointment was rebooked, but when the client failed to show up, they were informed that the cancellation had occurred due to "specialist legal advice" advising against providing services to anyone born in Russia.
The Co-op claims that it is taking a cautious approach due to strict financial restrictions imposed on individuals connected to the Russian government and its war aims. These regulations can result in imprisonment of up to seven years for engaging in financial or legal business with sanctioned entities.
However, critics argue that this blanket refusal based solely on birthplace is discriminatory and unjustified. The UK government guidance states that individuals who are not designated under a sanctions regime or connected to someone who is should not be prohibited from receiving financial and legal services.
The Co-op's stance has sparked debate about the limits of company loyalty and responsibility in complying with complex regulations. While some may see the individual's actions as suspicious, others argue that citizenship status alone does not automatically trigger sanctions.
In a surprising twist, HM Treasury has stated that its regulations prioritize where customers live rather than their birthplace. However, companies are ultimately responsible for deciding how to comply with these rules and who to do business with.
As one critic put it, "It's unpalatable that you should pay a price because of your birth location." The case raises important questions about the balance between regulatory compliance and individual rights, particularly for those affected by international sanctions.
A UK resident born in Russia but holding dual citizenship with Germany has been refused service by the Co-op's will writing service due to their country of birth. The individual, who wishes to remain anonymous, had submitted a request for an updated will, including their partner and daughter as beneficiaries.
The client was initially told that the request had been cancelled because they were born in Russia, despite having revoked their Russian citizenship over 20 years ago. A follow-up appointment was rebooked, but when the client failed to show up, they were informed that the cancellation had occurred due to "specialist legal advice" advising against providing services to anyone born in Russia.
The Co-op claims that it is taking a cautious approach due to strict financial restrictions imposed on individuals connected to the Russian government and its war aims. These regulations can result in imprisonment of up to seven years for engaging in financial or legal business with sanctioned entities.
However, critics argue that this blanket refusal based solely on birthplace is discriminatory and unjustified. The UK government guidance states that individuals who are not designated under a sanctions regime or connected to someone who is should not be prohibited from receiving financial and legal services.
The Co-op's stance has sparked debate about the limits of company loyalty and responsibility in complying with complex regulations. While some may see the individual's actions as suspicious, others argue that citizenship status alone does not automatically trigger sanctions.
In a surprising twist, HM Treasury has stated that its regulations prioritize where customers live rather than their birthplace. However, companies are ultimately responsible for deciding how to comply with these rules and who to do business with.
As one critic put it, "It's unpalatable that you should pay a price because of your birth location." The case raises important questions about the balance between regulatory compliance and individual rights, particularly for those affected by international sanctions.
! I mean, shouldn't someone just be able to get their will done without being judged based on where they were born? It's like, what even happened in that person's life to make them suspicious just because of their birthplace? 
I don't think it's right that the Co-op is refusing service solely because of that. I mean, if someone has revoked their citizenship and is now a UK resident with dual German citizenship, shouldn't that count for something? The fact that they're being treated differently because of where they were born rather than what they are today is just not fair 
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. A person born in Russia but holding dual citizenship with Germany gets rejected from getting their will written just because of where they were born 
. It's not like they're connected to the Russian government or anything (although I get why companies would be cautious). And now HM Treasury is saying that it's more about where you live, not your birthplace 
... but what about all these regulations and rules? It feels like a lot of people are getting caught in the middle 
. Can't we just treat everyone fairly and equally, regardless of their background or where they were born from? 
. I mean, what's next? Are they gonna refuse service to people born in certain countries because of something they did when they were young? It's all about the sanctions and regulations, but what about individual rights? 
And what about all those people who have dual citizenship or were born in Russia but now live and work in the UK? Do they get to keep their rights too?
. Companies should be more careful with how they comply with regulations, not punish customers for something that happened years ago. The Co-op needs to rethink its policy and start treating people fairly 
.
it's not like they're still connected to russia or something. and now they're being punished for their parents' country of origin? that's just wrong 
. Like, who needs to be born in Russia to have a valid reason to get their will done? It's not like they're asking to bank with a Russian oligarch or something 
. I mean, if the UK government is saying that citizenship status isn't a thing for sanctions, then why are companies making up their own rules? It's just a bunch of bureaucratic red tape to keep people down 
. And honestly, if you were born in Russia but have German citizenship and live in the UK, aren't you basically a law-abiding citizen by default? 
The Co-op needs to rethink their policies and stop playing the blame game 
It's just common sense, you'd think...
It's not fair that just 'cause you're born in Russia (or wherever) you get judged and potentially denied services. Like, I get that sanctions and all that jazz is a thing, but can't they be more specific with the rules? Birthplace shouldn't determine who gets service. 
just thinking about this is giving me the chills... like if i was born in usa but got citizenship from china or whatever, wouldnt get any problems? 
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. If they can refuse to do business with someone because of their birthplace, where does it end? Are they gonna start refusing service to everyone from Russia just because of a blanket policy? 
. And if they're worried about getting into trouble, maybe they should just start asking more questions and doing their due diligence before giving anyone a service 
Co-op's got no business doing this. It's just a blanket policy, no exceptions. And what's with the "specialist legal advice" excuse? That sounds like cop-out to me 
And what's with these "strict financial restrictions" that supposedly justify discriminating against someone just because of where they were born? It's not fair to punish the innocent for something their parents or ancestors did. 
. It's not like they're forcing anyone to work with the russian gov or anything