Lloyds Bank and Halifax to close 44 bank branches in 2021

Lloyds Banking Group has announced that it will close 44 Lloyds Bank and Halifax branches across England and Wales this year.

This takes its total number of bank branch closures to 251. The group announced 56 closures in January last year, after already closing 151 branches between January 2018 and August 2019.

Here, Which? reveals the full list of affected branches, why Lloyds has decided to shut more of its network and how you can join our campaign to safeguard access to banking.

Which Lloyds Bank and Halifax branches are closing?

It's been confirmed that 29 Lloyds Bank branches and 15 Halifax branches will close.

The locations detailed in the table below. You can use the search bar to check if your local branch is closing.

It's not yet been confirmed exactly when each branch will close, but it should be at some point in 2021.

• Find out more:bank branch closures - is your local bank closing?

Why is Lloyds Bank closing more branches?

Lloyds Banking Group says the closures are down to the growing number of Lloyds and Halifax digital banking customers.

The number of digital users has risen by over four million in five years to nearly 18 million, of which 13.6 million also choose to be active app users.

Vim Maru, retail director for Lloyds Banking Group, told us: 'This means that, like many businesses on the high street, we must change for a future where branches will be used in a different way and visited less often.'

The Group says that across all of its branches, transactions have fallen by 10% per year in the five years to March 2020, and 'significantly further' in the year since.

• Find out more: Lloyds Banking Group closures in 2020

What you can do if your branch is closing

Lloyds Banking Group told us the different ways you can still bank if your local branch is closing.

• Another branch The group says 90% of customers have a branch within five miles of their home.
• Online and telephone bankingYou can access online banking here if you're a Lloyds customer and here if you're a Halifax customer. You can also opt to register online, otherwise call Halifax customer services on 0345 720 3040, or Lloyds on 0345 300 0000 for help to register for an online account, or do your banking over the phone.
• Video appointment services If you wish to speak to a mortgage adviser, you can arrange a video appointment with Halifax and Lloyds Bank.
• Cashback through local shops Last November, Lloyds noted its intention to join forces with 500 local retailers to offer cashback services in communities where cash availability is low.
• Post Office You can still bank at 11,500 Post Office branches in the UK, where you can access cash if you need it.

How many bank branches are closing?

Lloyds Banking Group isn't the first to announce its closing branches.

Over the past few years, bank and building society branches have been disappearing from our high streets at an alarming pace.

Banks and building societies have closed (or scheduled the closure) of 4,299 branches since January 2015, at a rate of around 50 each month.

HSBC announced in January, that it plans to close 82 branches by the end of September 2021, reducing its network from 593 to 511.

At the end of last year, TSB announced it will close 164 branches and Barclays announced it's closing 63, all throughout 2021.

Which? has been tracking bank branch closures since 2015. Check out our bank branch closure checker to find out which of your local branches closed recently.

Is everyone ready for digital banking?

While online banking is becoming increasingly popular, it's not for everyone.

Many people still rely on bank branches, especially those who need to use cash in their everyday lives.

The UK's cash infrastructure has been under a lot of strain, particularly during the coronavirus crisis, with some businesses refusing cash and ATMs and bank branches closing at pace, leaving the millions of people who still depend on cash with no way to pay.

UK Finance and Natalie Ceeney, author of the independent Access to Cash Review, confirmed in our recent cash summit that they would be forming an 'Access to Cash Action Group' with eight major high street banks and banking groups.

The government is also moving closer towards cash legislation, which was promised in the March 2020 Budget. While there have been significant delays to its introduction, at our summit, Treasury minister John Glen underlined the government's commitment to legislation and revealed the next step of the process: a consultation on legislative proposals that will be launching this summer.

• Find out more:keep up to date with our work on protecting cash

'Freedom to pay. Our way'

We're continuing to lobby the government to intervene and protect the UK's banking and cash infrastructure.

You can support the 'Freedom to pay. Our way' campaign, by signing our petition.