Lloyds stops opening some bank accounts for customers in branches

As first reported by the Telegraph, internal documents show that Lloyds staff will not open joint, premium or student accounts in branches, or switch customers from other providers.

Staff will tell customers to use the bank’s app or website, although Lloyds stresses that anyone who asks for help in a branch will be talked through the process.

Says a bank statement: “Anyone coming into a branch looking to open an account will get help to do it in the branch.”

The change is the latest sign of UK banks shifting away from branches to digital channels. Recent Office of National Statistics figures show that the number of bank, credit union and building society branches in the UK has fallen by more than a third over the last five years.

Last January, Lloyds Banking Group said it would close 61 Lloyds, 61 Halifax and 14 Bank of Scotland branches between May and this March.

Martin Quinn from Campaign for Cash tells the Telegraph: “In-person bank branch services are vital for consumers. People do not want to talk to a machine, they want to deal with real people.

“High streets up and down the country are being hollowed out by shop closures and removing more face to face banking services is a real kick in the teeth.”