easiest bank to apply for switch card (recent UK resident)

My partner moved to the UK in October 2002, and as of last August, became a permanent resident. We're finding it difficult to get a switch card for him, which is useful for certain transactions- online airline bookings, some supermarkets etc. He's had a bank account with the RBOS since he arrived, and they've now turned him down twice for the card. (He first applied around a year ago.) I understand the way that the UK credit agencies work, but I still find this frustrating. He's had a Barclaycard for around 18 months, and gets (modest) paychecks directly into his account weekly. His balance has been consistently above £1,000 for the last year or so. I appreciate that his US credit history doesn't count (even though he has a ridiculous amount of unused credit and a mortgage on a US property) but I wonder is there aren't other banks that would give him a debit card? Online ones? I'd thought of cahoot, but they require three years residence which he doesn't qualify for yet. The only utility in his name is the water bill- would it really make a difference to put other utilities in his name?