Poorest hit as free cash machines cut

FREE-TO-USE cash machines are vanishing more quickly in deprived areas than in affluent ones, according to consumer campaigners who a re pressi ng Cha ncel lor Sajid Javid to implement a cash guarantee.

Which? said its analysis shows nearly one in 10 (9%) free cashpoints had closed or switched to fee-paying during a 17-month period after changes to how the network is funded were set out.

The consumer group used data from ATM network Link to make the findings.

Reductions to the fees card issuers pay to ATM operators have sparked fears that “cash deserts” could be created, with bank branches also closing. Which? said analysis found poorer communities have been hardest hit by the changes, with those most reliant on cash and who can least afford to pay for withdrawals facing charges or being forced to travel to access money for free.

Looking just at the numbers of free ATMs which had been converted from free to feecharging, Which? found that the most deprived areas across the UK had seen a reduction of 979 free-to-use machines – equivalent to 5.7% of their ATM network.

The least deprived areas lost 223 free cashpoints – equivalent to 3.9% of their network of machines.

Which? said Birmingham Ladywood, which has a large proportion of its ATMs in deprived neighbourhoods, saw the biggest losses, with a reduction of 47 free machines.

This was followed by Bristol West which lost 40, Manchester Central which lost 36 – and Belfast South and Cardiff Central which lost 34 each.

Which? chief executive Anabel Hoult and Natalie Ceeney, chairwoman of the independent Access to Cash Review, have written to Mr Javid, calling on the Government to take action to guarantee people’s ability to access and pay with cash.

Money charge.