Distance to access cash varies widely across UK

PEOPLE in parts of the UK travel more than twice as far as others to find somewhere supplying cash, a report has found. Research, led by the University of Bristol, looked at the average distances people need to travel to get access to cash without having to pay.

London residents can access free sources of cash within 326 metres on average. In Scotland, Wales and southwest England people have to travel more than 600m, while in Northern Ireland, someone will typically travel 800m.

Free-to-use ATMs, bank and building society branches, credit unions and Post Office branches were included in the research. Places offering cashback, where someone may need to make a purchase, and pay-to-use ATMs were excluded. The research found that free access to cash is readily available on 99% of UK high streets within 500m.

But the number of free-touse ATMs fell by almost a fifth between March 2018 and March 2020.