Regions of UK hit hardest by hundreds of bank branches closing revealed

Northern Ireland and the North are hit hardest by bank branches closing , with the regions far more reliant on physical cash than others.

High street banks are due to close 281 branches this year , blaming falling footfall. The trend has been ongoing for years.

While Brits can get by without cash easily in many parts of the UK, especially London, some regions are much more dependent on physical money.

Consumer organisations like Which? have spoken out about these closures , saying fewer bank branches puts older people and the cash-dependent at a disadvantage.

One of the biggest cash machine operators, NoteMachine, has more than 11,000 ATMs in the UK.

The firm has crunched its numbers to work out which regions rely the most on cash.

While the coronavirus pandemic meant cash use fell across the whole nation, this has bounced back fastest in Northern Ireland.

In the first two months of 2022 the region is back to withdrawing 98% of the cash it did before the pandemic, while the Northwest is at 83%.

The full list of regions most reliant on cash in order is:

• Northern Ireland
• Northeast
• Wales
• Northwest
• Scotland
• East Midlands
• West Midlands
• Southeast
• Southwest
• Greater London

Rural communities are disproportionately affected by the removal of ATMs and bank branches, as they are often more heavily reliant on cash.

A churchwarden of a church in Suffolk said their church gets cash as donations from visitors and churchgoers.

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The warden added: "I collect money from the collection box and the plate donations in services which are 90% cash. We have acquired an electronic payment device for use at large services but this is a new venture, and treated with suspicion by most of the congregation.

"The issue comes from the need for me, or the treasurer, to do a 15-mile round trip to the nearest town with a Barclays bank to deposit the funds."

A NoteMachine spokesperson said: "There is still a huge section of society that relies on cash as a primary means of payment and as a budgeting tool, and this is particularly true amongst those who are likely to be hardest hit by the rising cost of living.

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"For the elderly, those on low incomes, or those facing financial difficulties, the ability to access cash is crucial in such times, and we can expect to see more people turning to cash to help control their finances."

Lloyds last month month said it will shut 60 bank branches due to a shift to online banking, and many rival banks are doing the same.

HSBC is closing 69 bank branches due to a shift to online banking, in a move affecting around 400 staff.

TSB is to close 70 bank branches in the UK this year, while NatWest will shut 32 outlets, including 11 Royal Bank of Scotland sites.

Lloyds Banking Group will be closing 48 of its branches, for its brands Lloyds Bank and Halifax.

Barclays shut two of its physical branches in February.

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