Concerns have been raised over the loss of a "lifeline" for the elderly and vulnerable after a bank branch closes.
NatWest in Hunts Cross, the last remaining banking branch in the area, will be closing its doors later this year in what was described as a "difficult decision". It comes after banking companies have announced hundreds of closures right across the UK.
Earlier this year it was reported that Merseyside had seen bank branches fall from approximately 340 in 2010 to approximately 125 in 2021. With banks announcing further closures, this has sparked concern among people across the region.
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Tom Reid from Bootle said: "I don’t use internet banking as I haven’t got a computer. I have to come into town to use the bank. There are some banks open down by Bootle Strand but you can never tell when they’re open and a lot of them are operating with reduced hours. It’s making it harder for people without the internet to do their banking, but it’s an excuse to get out."
A statement on the NatWest website confirmed the Hunts Cross branch will close on August 23, 2022, with the nearest branch then being Allerton Road, just under three miles away. Customers can also access services via the Post Office.
A NatWest spokesperson said: "As with many industries, most of our customers are shifting to mobile and online banking, because it’s faster and easier for people to manage their financial lives. We understand and recognise that digital solutions aren’t right for everyone or every situation, and that when we close branches we have to make sure that no one is left behind.
"We take our responsibility seriously to support the people who face challenges in moving online, so we are investing to provide them with support and alternatives that work for them."
Taking to social media, concerned residents who regularly use the bank said the elderly will have "lost a lifeline" as they struggle to use online banking. Sharing a letter sent to customers on a local Facebook page, one person said it was "shocking" while another described it as "disgusting". Another resident added: "No banks left in Hunts Cross, wow."
Many people expressed their concerns that the elderly and vulnerable who "rely on stores" will be left stranded as they will "struggle" to access their banking needs. The letter said the "simple reason is that the way people bank has changed", as it went on to say there was a "shift towards digital".
Earlier this week, Barclays announced it is set to close a further 27 branches this year, including one in Merseyside. Barclays Heswall, on Pensby Road, will close its doors at noon on Friday, July 1, as the office becomes one of 330 UK branches to shut up shop in 2022.
Lloyds and Halifax branches across the UK will also be closing, which will see 309 banks to be closed by the end of 2022 alone. Lloyds Banking Group that owns Lloyds, Halifax and Royal Bank of Scotland, stated that falling customers had led to the closures.
