By Sean Poulter for the Daily Mail
Published: 00:20 GMT, 6 March 2019 | Updated: 00:21 GMT, 6 March 2019
View
comments
Britain's cash system is on the verge of collapse, a report reveals today.
Cash machine and bank closures are just the tip of the iceberg, it says.
The country’s entire ‘cash infrastructure’ – the system for handling and banking money – is increasingly at risk of ‘falling apart’, the review claims.
Elderly people face increasingly difficulty in accessing cash with the continued closure of bank branches and the removal of ATMs from the high street
Almost two-thirds of Britain’s bank branches have closed over the past 30 years
It is too expensive to run and people cannot get access to cash because bank branches and ATMs are closing down.
The review warns that millions would struggle to cope if the UK moves too quickly towards going cashless. The elderly, disabled and vulnerable face losing their independence, while cash shoppers would have less choice and could have to pay more as a result.
The independent Access to Cash Review, commissioned by ATM provider Link, wants ministers and regulators to guarantee that all communities will have access to cash as long as they need it.
In its final report, published today, the panel of consumer and industry experts has proposed a range of solutions, from forcing banks to re-install cash machines in ‘ATM deserts’ to making it easier for customers to order cash by post, as is often done with foreign currency.
Other ideas include introducing lockers where business owners
