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It’s all about better understanding and for me, being able to have a voice with a view to being an agent of change – that’s really exciting.

Ruth Taplin
NatWest Inclusive Design Panel member

A diagnosis that helped life make sense

“I’m 61, but I was only diagnosed with ADHD last year,” says NatWest Customer and Inclusive Design Panel member, Ruth Taplin. “I have a long history of debt and struggling to manage money. I ran my own business which unfortunately went bust so I’ve been bankrupt. I’ve seen it all - as bad as it gets really. I lost my health.”

After a lifetime of struggling with money, mental health issues and addiction, Ruth’s diagnosis helped her see things differently. “My life finally made sense,” she says.

Now Ruth is using her experiences to try and help others by volunteering her time to sit on our Inclusive Design Panel.

Along with others, she provides feedback on new ideas, products, tools and communications – sharing insight from different perspectives to help us make more informed decisions when it comes to making banking more inclusive and accessible.

Ruth first heard about the Inclusive Design Panel through the charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP) and was immediately interested.

 

Neurodiversity and money

“I’ve been in debt and I know how scary everything can be. I’m also neurodiverse and I now finally understand why I behave the way I do. Being able to be involved [in the design process] at that grassroots level is really interesting.”

Not everyone with ADHD will struggle with money, but I know for me, hyper-fixation has been a big part of it.

Looking back, Ruth is now able to understand just how much her ADHD has influenced her finances. “My ADHD massively affected my money management,” she says.

“Not everyone with ADHD will struggle with money, but I know for me, hyper-fixation has been a big part of it. I’ll get a buzz from getting something I want and then I don’t just want one, I want the whole set of 100 before losing interest and moving on to the next thing.

“I remember being hyper-fixated on wanting to buy something at a very early age - but I didn’t know it was hyper-fixation. You make the assumption that everyone sees the world in the same way but they don’t. Understanding that my brain is wired a bit differently has helped me to be kinder to myself.”

 

Creating healthier money habits

And understanding why she behaves the way she does has helped Ruth develop healthier money habits too. She adds: “For the first time in my life I can now look at the mobile app and see that I have some savings – rather than worry that my next direct debit is going to bounce.”

I can’t change what’s happened to me, but I can use my experiences to help others.

For Ruth, a lack of understanding about her own ADHD is intrinsically linked to poor financial and mental health. “It was all tied together,” she says. “I ended up drinking and becoming addicted to codeine. I went through a really dark time. I can’t change what’s happened to me, but I can use my experiences to help others.”

Ruth now works to support people with mental health challenges, and advocates for people struggling with debt. Through her role with the Inclusive Design Panel, she’s also helping to shape a better banking service that works for everyone and provides the right support at the right time to help people avoid finding themselves in the situation that Ruth herself ended up in.

“When I was being made bankrupt, I didn’t tell anyone because of the shame around it,” she recalls. “There wasn’t the support there for me at the time – but that’s going back a number of years.

 

Making a difference through the Inclusive Design Panel

“I think there’s much more understanding there now and I actually think NatWest is making great strides - more so than other banks - in terms of saying ‘look, we’re here to help. We’re not here to make you feel worse. What can we do to improve your situation?’ I think that’s really important.”

As an active member of the Panel, Ruth has nothing but praise for the work that’s being done when it comes to creating a bank that works for everyone.

"I do feel like I’m making a difference [with the Inclusive Design Panel]. I know it’s not always possible to implement every suggestion– because not everything will be right for everyone – but I know we’re truly being listened to, and our feedback is being taken on board.

“It’s been a very positive experience for me,” she concludes. “It’s all about better understanding and for me, being able to have a voice with a view to being an agent of change – that’s really exciting.”

Accessible Banking

Find out more about our work to make banking as accessible as possible for everyone

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