Director Shareholding

Provident Financial PLC
22 December 2004

                                  SCHEDULE 11

          NOTIFICATION OF INTERESTS OF DIRECTORS AND CONNECTED PERSONS



1. Name of company

Provident Financial plc

2. Name of director

David Richard Swann

3. Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of holding
of the shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a non-beneficial interest
or in the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of that person's
spouse or children under the age of 18 or in respect of a non-beneficial
interest

Notification in respect of director named in 2 above

4. Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number of
shares held by each of them (if notified)

Share Nominees Limited

5. Please state whether notification relates to a person(s) connected with the
director named in 2 above and identify the connected person(s)

Notification in respect of director named in 2 above

6. Please state the nature of the transaction. For PEP transactions please
indicate whether general/single co PEP and if discretionary/non discretionary

Purchase of shares for discretionary single company PEP

7. Number of shares / amount of stock acquired

12

8. Percentage of issued class (any treasury shares held by company should not be
taken into account when calculating percentage)

0.000005%

9. Number of shares/amount of stock disposed

-

10. Percentage of issued class (any treasury shares held by company should not
be taken into account when calculating percentage)

-

11. Class of security

Ordinary shares of 10 4/11p

12. Price per share

648p

13. Date of transaction

20 December 2004

14. Date company informed

21 December 2004

15. Total holding following this notification

86,725

16. Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification (any
treasury shares held by company should not be taken into account when
calculating percentage)

0.034%

If a director has been granted options by the company please complete the
following boxes.

17. Date of grant


-



18. Period during which or date on which exercisable


-



19. Total amount paid (if any) for grant of the option


-



20. Description of shares or debentures involved: class, number


-



21. Exercise price (if fixed at time of grant) or indication that price is to be
fixed at time of exercise


-



22. Total number of shares or debentures over which options held following this
notification


-



23. Any additional information


-



24. Name of contact and telephone number for queries


Rosamond J Marshall Smith

Tel:  [phone] ext. 2356



25. Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for making
this notification


Rosamond J Marshall Smith

General Counsel and Company Secretary



Date of Notification


22 December 2004



The FSA does not give any express or implied warranty as to the accuracy of this
document or material and does not accept any liability for error or omission.
The FSA is not liable for any damages (including, without limitation, damages
for loss of business or loss of profits) arising in contract, tort or otherwise
from the use of or inability to use this document, or any material contained in
it, or from any action or decision taken as a result of using this document or
any such material.


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange