Lloyds Banking Group has announced what could be the final nail in the coffin of branch banking.
From 1st March 2026, 10 personal current accounts will be removed from branches to digital. We understand that’s just phase 1, the rest will follow later this year. From 1st April, cards and loans will be removed from branches. And then from 27st May 2026, all new to Lloyds saving accounts will be removed from branches to digital. In one of the scenarios for dealing with customer reactions to the changes [“I don’t want to use Internet Banking because the branch will close”], Lloyds says staff should say: “I understand why you would worry, but using Internet Banking won’t affect branch decisions….”. That’s a bare faced lie. It’s the very reason why Lloyds is getting rid of opening accounts, cards, loans and savings products from branches. It’s forcing existing and new customers down the digital channel. That’s what it’s been doing for the past 10 plus years. Asking staff to lie for the Bank is unconscionable.
A few weeks ago, Lloyds announced that it was closing another 95 branches (53 Lloyds, 31 Halifax and 11 Bank of Scotland) between May 2026 and March 2027. Lloyds will have just 610 branches left once all the various announcements have been implemented.
Lloyds wants to get to approximately 200 flagship branches as quickly as possible. Removing products and services is just part of that long-term plan.
The products being removed from branches are as follows:
1st March 2026
Open a Youth account 13 to 17
Open a Student account (UCAS)
Open a Hero account
Re-designate to a Hero/Vantage
Open a joint account
Open a Second account/executor account
Full Switch
Open Youth with parent 11-12
Open a Student (Non UCAS)
Partial Switch
1st March 2026
8 current account ‘journeys’ removed
Cards and Loans removed from branches
27th May 2026
Savings
Full removal of new to ban
Removal of joint accounts
In July 2025, Lloyds introduced a new skills-based pay system for staff in grades A and B. Most of the accreditations that drive pay progression for staff are now being removed with the Bank’s latest proposals and the current system is not fit for purpose. Lloyds needs to put in place a new system now linked to staff acquiring skills through online training. There’s no point linking it to accreditations in branches because there’s nothing left!
We will return to this issue in a further Newsletter. In the meantime, members with any questions can contact the Union’s Bedford Office on 01234 262868 (Choose Option 1).
MEMBERS SHOULD PASS THIS NEWSLETTER ON TO THEIR COLLEAGUES IN HALIFAX & LLOYDS SO THEY TOO CAN BENEFIT FROM THE ONLY INDEPENDENT TRADE UNION IN LLOYDS BANKING GROUP.