Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs has written to the Prime Minister expressing her concern about Lloyds Bank customers no longer able to cash in cheques at Post Offices.
And at a meeting of the council’s Cabinet this week, Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin confirmed that she will also write to the Lloyds Banking Group seeking reassurances around mitigations they should put in place to support rural communities.
Lloyds is reported saying that customers can instead deposit cash at their local Post Office branch using their debit card, and they could cash in cheques via their mobile app.
But Councillor Cottle-Hunkin says the change will have a significant impact on rural communities, particularly in Devon, where over 50 per cent of the population lives in rural areas.
“For many residents, especially older people, small businesses, and those without reliable digital connectivity, the ability to deposit cheques at their local Post Office is not a convenience but a necessity,” she said.
“Removing this service risks deepening financial exclusion and undermines government commitments to protect access to banking services.”
In her message to the Prime Minister, which has cross-party support from all group leaders at Devon County Council, and is also supported by Devon Communities Together, Councillor Cottle-Hunkin describes Post Offices as a ‘lifeline for rural communities, especially as the number of UK bank branches has fallen dramatically,’ which, she says ‘disproportionately affects rural areas.’
She has urged the government to
- engage with Lloyds Banking Group to reverse their decision and maintain cheque deposit facilities at Post Offices
- ensure rural banking access standards are upheld in line with commitments to financial inclusion
- and to accelerate the rollout of banking hubs and strengthen the Post Office Banking Framework to protect essential services
“This is not simply a matter of convenience,” she says.
“It is about fairness, accessibility, and sustaining rural economies.”
Councillor Cottle-Hunkin again thanked fellow councillor and Postmaster, Councillor Stuart Rogers, for bringing the matter to her attention.