Dismay as TSB says it will shut more branches
TSB has announced it is to close 36 banks in the UK this year – including branches in Edinburgh and East Lothian.
Among 10 Scottish branches set to shut in September are those on Leith Walk in the Capital, and Court Street in Haddington.
TSB has said the closures – which will see 250 jobs lost across the business – are part of efforts to move to a better balance of digital and faceto-face services.
About 96 per cent of all the bank’s transactions take place away from a branch, with in-branch transactions falling 43 per cent over the past four years.
A spokesman for TSB said: “We remain committed to a national branch network and through innovation and integration with video, telephone, digital, branch and other face-to-face services TSB customers have more ways to bank with us than ever before.”
Trade union Unite said the decision by the UK high street lender was a “grave mistake”. Andy Case, the union’s regional case officer, said: “These workers perform essential work in the fraud departments and across the branch network.
“The union is pressing TSB to urgently reconsider its damaging bank branch closures plan.”
Meanwhile, Age Scotland’s chief executive, Katherine Crawford, said: “This is a disappointing move from TSB, and unfortunately is the latest in a continuous stream of banks abandoning high streets across Scotland in favour of a digital-by-default approach that does not consider the needs of all of their customers.”
She went on: “Access to cash and in-person banking services are vital for many older people in Scotland. We know that 34 per cent of over 65s prefer to bank in person.
“We also know that 31 per cent of over 65s feel uncomfortable with the idea of online banking for a variety of reasons, including lack of trust in online services, lack of necessary IT skills and a fear of falling victim to fraud and scams.
“An increasing number of communities are being left with either one local bank or facing the prospect of travelling further afield to do their banking. This is especially concerning for older people in rural and remote areas.”