The Treasury has opened evidence gathering for an independent review into access to face-to-face banking services, with businesses, community groups, financial services organisations, and members of the public invited to submit views.
The Access to Banking Review is being chaired by Richard Lloyd OBE, a former Which? director and former Financial Conduct Authority board member. It will examine whether changes in access to in-person banking services are causing detriment to consumers, communities, and businesses.
The call for evidence will remain open for six weeks, closing on 20 July 2026. The review will then assess customer needs, the scale of any detriment, and the likely future path of in-person banking before making recommendations to government in October.
The Treasury said ministers would act quickly where evidence shows action is needed to protect access to banking services in the UK, including through legislation if necessary.
Rachel Blake, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said: “Banking services matter to communities and businesses across the UK – and that includes face-to-face services.
“Whether you are responding as an individual or a business, your experience could shape the recommendations this review makes to Government.
“Where evidence shows people are being left behind, we will act – including through legislation if necessary.”
Lloyd said: “Banking is an essential service needed by every consumer, community and business in the UK. The Access to Banking Review wants to gather the best possible up-to-date evidence of the challenges faced by those who need in-person banking services. This evidence will help to establish the impact of changing services, identify who is most affected, and underpin our assessment of what further action may be required.”
The review follows the announcement of the Financial Services and Markets Bill in the King’s Speech. The Bill will also take forward credit union common bond reforms announced in March, making it easier for credit unions in Great Britain to broaden their membership. The Treasury said the change would strengthen community-based financial services and help more people access affordable credit and safe places to save.
The Bill will also introduce Commercial Credit Data Sharing, requiring certain banks to share SMEs’ credit information, with consent, with credit reference agencies. The aim is to help other lenders make better decisions and improve competition in SME finance.
Branch use has fallen as consumers and companies adopt online and mobile banking, but the move to digital service has not affected all customers equally. Cash-heavy businesses, older customers, people with disabilities, rural communities, and organisations requiring complex or sensitive support may still depend on in-person services.
In-person banking can affect cash deposits, account queries, fraud resolution, relationship lending, and access to advice. Branch closures may increase travel time, administrative friction, and reliance on digital systems that do not always meet the needs of organisations with irregular cash flow or limited financial administration capacity.
The review also reflects a wider shift in customer experience across financial services. Banking providers have invested heavily in digital channels, automation, and app-based service. That has improved speed and convenience for many users, but it has also exposed gaps where customers need judgement, escalation, or support that does not fit neatly into digital workflows.
Operational pressure around financial infrastructure is already visible in adjacent parts of the market. SMEs are losing revenue through payment failures, abandoned checkouts, and payment-related customer churn, showing how payment systems and banking access can affect customer experience, cash flow, and business resilience.
The policy challenge is to define what adequate access means in a market where full branch networks are unlikely to return. Shared banking hubs, Post Office services, digital support, mobile branches, cash deposit solutions, and credit union expansion may all form part of the answer, though each has limits.
Banks have argued that customer behaviour has shifted decisively toward digital channels, while campaigners and community representatives have warned that alternatives often arrive too slowly or offer a narrower range of services than the branches they replace.
The evidence process gives companies and local organisations an opportunity to document practical impacts rather than general frustration. Examples of lost trading time, cash handling difficulty, fraud delays, lending barriers, and access issues in specific communities are likely to carry more weight than broad complaints about branch closures.
The October recommendations could become an important test of how far government is prepared to intervene in the distribution of essential financial services. Digital banking will continue to dominate growth, but the review signals that ministers are not willing to treat the disappearance of in-person access as a purely commercial decision.
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