Convenient Cash Access Impossible Without 24/7 ATMs!

Thanks to Temie Laleye at GB News for highlighting this issue.

Precisely NOTHING has been done by successive UK Governments to ensure 24/7 cash access is maintained.

This inaction culminated in what many consider to be the infamous HM Treasury “Cash Access Policy Statement”, published on 18 August 2023, which was artfully worded so that ATMs were NEVER mentioned!

Perhaps the most important passage from this Statement is “ the government’s view is that “reasonable provision of cash access services” (as to be determined by the FCA) means free cash access services”.

Some well-meaning but misguided people felt the inclusion of the word “free” was a triumph, rather than focusing on the fact that the Financial Conduct Authority, in its infinite wisdom (?), was going to be “free” to decide what “reasonable” ( weasel word!) cash access should look like around the UK.

HM Treasury took the view in their Statement that it was “reasonable” for the public not to have to make more than a TWO mile round trip to get catch in urban areas, whilst most rural folk would be content to only have a SIX mile round trip to get their cash.

As for the FCA being able to determine what the “reasonable” provision of cash access should look like, since the HM Treasury Statament didn’t mention ATMs - THE ONLY MEANS OF PROVIDING 24/7 CONVENIENT NATIONAL CASH ACCESS - it was highly unlikely that the FCA was going to place emphasis on these marvellous machines that still - despite the best efforts of HM Treasury - provide over 85% of the cash the majority of the British public use in their daily lives.

24/7 ATMs continue to be ripped out, not least because every bank branch closure see more ATMs lost - WE HAVE LOST TWO BANK BRANCHES EVERY DAY SINCE 2015 - and absolutely nothing is being done to stem the loss of convenient cash access.

Because CONVENIENT was yet another word not highlighted in the HM Treasury Statement!

Never mind.

The British public have a totally resolute organisation battling to ensure they have both convenient access to their cash AND the legal right to spend that cash, when and where they choose.

Source: gbnews.com/money/cash-access-free-to-use-atm-link-machine