Customers of Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland will soon be able to access services at any of the group’s branches as Lloyds Banking Group aims to restructure its branch network. The move, intended to provide customers with greater choice and flexibility, has garnered mixed reactions—with unions voicing worry about the potential for further branch shutdowns.
In a statement from Lloyds, a spokesperson affirmed: “We’re always looking for ways to make banking easier and more flexible for our customers so, from later this year, we’ll offer customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland the option to use branches of any brand for their in-person banking, alongside our apps, mobile messaging, and telephone services.”
Similarly, call centre personnel are currently aiding customers across all brands when they seek support. With this development, some patrons may find a nearby branch more readily accessible as they can go to any branch for face-to-face banking, regardless of the brand.
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Although no precise dates have been provided, Lloyds anticipates implementing these changes later in 2025. Yet, BTU – an independent trade union representing Lloyds workers – has expressed concerns that this strategy might signal an impending wave of high-street branch closures.
BTU has revealed that a separate presentation, viewed by the union, indicates that a quarter of its branch network shares the same location. This could potentially lead to closures in areas where more than one Lloyds brand currently operates an open branch, according to a message sent to members by the union, reports Plymouth Live.
It’s understood that BTU is not officially recognised as a union, hence its members do not engage with Lloyds. Lloyds has been closing branches in recent years as it focuses on digital banking, which is used by approximately 22 million customers, while it reports a significant decline in in-person banking.
The latest round of closures will result in 55 branches disappearing from high streets across the UK this year.