Age UK responds to the news that RBS is closing 162 branches
Published on 01 May 2018 03:10 PM
Responding to the announcement that RBS is closing 162 branches throughout England and Wales, Age UK’s Charity Director, Caroline Abrahams, said:
'This is terrible news for many older customers – particularly those who are offline or live in rural areas – who may be left stranded in the wake of these closures. We often hear about the challenges faced by older people when it comes to managing their money and a move towards online banking is already causing problems for many older customers. These problems are exacerbated when branch closures coincide with poor public transport locally, substandard internet service and mobile black spots, making both digital and analogue alternatives difficult for customers to access.
'What really concerns us is that banks are withdrawing these essential services before putting in place alternative solutions to meet the needs of their older customers, particularly those in rural and semi-rural areas which have already been hard-hit by branch closures. There is a protocol for branch closures, but we are concerned that this is just a fig leaf for a fait accompli. Older people have a right to be able to carry out essential banking in an accessible and secure way.'