NatWest shares full list of 32 branches permanently closing in the UK this year
14.02.2022 - 17:15
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
High street banking giant NatWest has announced plans to close 32 branches in the UK for good.
Closures are set to take place in England and Wales over the next year, and will affect the NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland brands.
Natwest says it has made the decision because of a shift to online and mobile banking.
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However the lender appreciates that digital banking isn't for everyone.
Addressing concerns about how the closures will impact groups such as the elderly, the high street bank said it 'will contact vulnerable customers to ensure they can continue to bank with us in the way which suits them best,' ahead of the closures.
It added that a new postal cash delivery and Companion Card service has been rolled out nationwide for vulnerable customers.
The latest round of cuts comes just weeks after it emerged two Post Office branches are closing every week in the UK, leaving "huge gaps" in communities and impacting the elderly, carers and those in rural areas hardest.
Citizens Advice warned 206 post offices have closed in the last two years, the equivalent of two closing each week, says the Mirror.
In addition, 1,291 branches are currently deemed “temporarily closed”, but almost six in 10 of these have been shut for more than two years, the report said.
A NatWest spokesperson said: “As with many industries, most of our customers are shifting to mobile and online banking, because it’s faster and easier for people to manage their financial lives.
“We understand and recognise that digital solutions aren’t right for everyone or every situation, and that when we close branches we have to make sure that no one is left