My son has lost his independence since our town’s last bank branch closed… but the area was not considered isolated enough for a banking center

Banks across the country are disappearing into thin air.

Between In January 2015 and December 2024, 6,609 branches of banks and building societies closedfigures from consumer watchdog Which? show – and more are closing by the day.

Many customers now have to travel miles to do their banking in person, or rely on banking over the phone or using apps where the only person available to talk to is a chatbot.

Caroline Voaden, Liberal Democrat MP for South Devon, told a parliamentary debate this week how her constituency, home to 90,000 people, now has just one bank after the Lloyds branch in Totnes closed.

Sean Trimming, 33, lives in Totnes. Sean has minor learning difficulties and although he has a full-time job and is largely self-sufficient, he has difficulty communicating on the telephone.

Previously he relied on the Totnes Lloyds branch for personal support with banking queries and developed a trusting relationship with staff who understood his needs and made reasonable adjustments for him.

His father, Leo Trimming, 61, explained how staff helped protect his son from scams and explained financial issues to him in a way he could understand.

Sean accepted such advice from bank staff more easily than from his parents because he trusted them, Leo said.

After the branch closed permanently in January, Sean has lost the source of support he once had and is now much more dependent on his parents.

Leo said, “He’s lost that independence now. That has been taken away from him and he now has to rely on his parents.

“Sean had a good working relationship with Lloyds staff, something he won’t get with a call center agent. They are different every time and a faceless entity.’

Sean’s nearest bank is now about ten miles away, which takes about 40 minutes by bus. Sean doesn’t drive, so public transportation is his only option.

He works in a hotel and receives social support five hours a week.

Leo said: ‘Sean is an independent young man, albeit with a learning disability, but he was able to go straight to his bank for support with his finances.

‘They showed him respect as a person, as a citizen and as a customer. They had the facilities to support him in a way that online banking cannot. He has now lost that access to direct support.’

“He has not been able to access the same kind of service that you or I would have access to because we have the intellectual capacity and communication skills to be able to talk on phones in this way.

‘Sean and quite a few other people with learning difficulties, mental health problems and other disabilities don’t have the skills or confidence to talk to people online in the same way.

‘That has been lost and it is a bit of a scandal. Quite a large portion of our community is being left without much attention.”

Before going to the bank once every two weeks, Sean now calls his parents four times a week.

Leo added, “One day we’ll be too old or won’t be able to help anymore, and then I’m not sure what will happen to Sean.”

When asked about the branch closure, a Lloyds spokesperson told This is Money: ‘With access to one of the largest branch networks in the UK, alongside local banking options such as the nearby Post Office, PayPoint, plus our industry-leading app, 24/7 messaging service and telephone banking, we offer our customers more choice and convenience than ever before.

‘When a branch closes, our colleagues identify customers who may need additional support and work with them to provide assistance tailored to their circumstances.’

It said less than a quarter of its vulnerable customers banked alone in a branch. When it closed the Totnes branch, it said staff were given guidance to help them identify vulnerable customers and support them with their specific needs.

Lloyds also offers ‘trust cards’, which vulnerable people can give to a family member or friend to help them make purchases and access cash.

The bank also said it was organizing an event with the post office in Totnes to explain to customers what banking services are offered there.

Lloyds also said it had offered to meet MP Caroline Voaden.

Are banking hubs the solution?

Voaden believes the government should tackle banking deserts in rural areas, starting with relaxing the rules under which banking hubs are granted.

A banking center is a shared physical space on the high street that provides face-to-face cash and everyday banking services to customers of multiple major banks.

Employees of a particular bank often agree to be present at the hub one day a week.

They are owned by Cash Access UK, a not-for-profit company funded by banks and managed by the Post Office.

But Voaden says Totnes was rejected for a banking center because it did not meet the criteria.

“Totnes lost its last bank in January and was left without a banking center because the town has four ATMs, and the nearest bank in Paignton is estimated to be 30 minutes away on public transport,” she says.

“But then we don’t take into account the people who live in villages around the city and don’t have bus service.”

The current rules determining whether an area qualifies for a banking hub are “absurdly narrow,” Voaden added.

“They focus entirely on access to cash, rather than face-to-face banking, and make assumptions about the availability of public transport that bear no resemblance to the reality on the ground.”

She continues: ‘Since I started my campaign I’ve heard stories of people with learning disabilities who can’t use the online systems banks impose on them, pensioners traveling miles to complete basic banking tasks, and entrepreneurs waiting in long queues at post offices when they want to get back behind the till.

‘The result of these stories is a complete dereliction of duty by the big banks. They happily rake in billions of pounds in profits and pay exorbitant salaries but can’t find the funding or impetus to deliver the basic services customers deserve.’

Looking to the future, Caroline hopes the new Prime Minister listens to what the public wants as 76 people want access to a physical bank branch in their local area.

Prior to Burnham’s acquisition, the The Ministry of Finance has commissioned an independent investigation on whether the closure of major banks across Britain ‘creates challenges for those who rely on personal banking services’.

“I’m not suggesting that every bank should have a branch on every high street in Britain, those days are clearly over,” Voaden added.

‘But improved banking centers that provide all the personal services people need on behalf of all the major banks are entirely achievable with the right political will.

“Let’s see if the government is brave enough to make it happen.”