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Protecting access to face-to-face banking

Journalist: Tom Dunstan, FTAdviser

ended 14. May 2026

Lucy Rigby, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, has recently announced a government review to protect access to face‑to‑face banking across the UK.

The review will gather evidence on the real‑world impact of branch closures, identify who is most affected, and assess where further action may be needed to protect access to banking services.

“Banking services are a really important part of lives and communities, and it’s critical we can all access what we need – whether through local banking services or strong community-based alternatives like credit unions," Rigby said.

“We are supporting industry’s roll out of banking hubs , but we also need a clear picture of where communities are still losing out. This independent Review will show us where the problems are and what further action may be required – and we will move quickly to legislate where the evidence shows it is needed”.

What do you think about this? Is access to face-to-face banking important to clients? Should the government take action to protect access and, if so, what should they do? Would this be beneficial spesifically to older clients?

2 responses from the Newspage community

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Nouran Moustafa
Practice Principal & IFA at Roxton Wealth
Face-to-face banking still matters, and anyone pretending it does not is looking at the world through a very narrow lens. Digital banking is brilliant for many people, but it is not a complete replacement for human support, especially for older clients, vulnerable clients, people with disabilities, small business owners, or those dealing with complex or stressful financial decisions.
The danger with branch closures is that they do not affect everyone equally. For some people, losing a local branch is a mild inconvenience. For others, it means losing confidence, access, independence and sometimes even protection from scams, because staff can spot red flags that an app will not always catch.
I do think the Government should act, but not by pretending every old branch can be saved. The realistic answer is stronger banking hubs, better cash access, proper local needs assessments, support for credit unions, and minimum service standards for communities being left behind.
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Martin Rayner
Financial Adviser at Compton Financial Services
Face-to-face banking only adds real value if customers speak to someone empowered to make decisions – not a branch rep reading the same script as a call centre.

The issue isn’t the method of contact, but rigid rules and lack of flexibility. For most people, video calls via phone or laptop work perfectly well. Banks should fix their processes, not cling to empty buildings.

That said, vulnerable and older clients must always have genuine in-person access – especially for fraud worries or complex matters where trust matters.

A smart approach is hybrid: digital-first for speed, with meaningful face-to-face support where it counts. Banking hubs are a good start, but government reviews should push banks to modernise criteria and service, not just preserve branches.