SEVERAL major high street bank brands are set to slash opening hours at hundreds of branches within days, The Sun can reveal.
Lloyds Banking Group, which operates Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland, is set to shake-up opening hours at all 757 of its branches from September 29.
The move is being branded as a step towards consistency and improved staff wellbeing, but it will also mean less time for customers to access in-person banking services.
Under the new rules, branches will open later and close earlier than many currently do.
Weekday opening times will shift from 9am to 9.30am, with an even later start of 10am on Wednesdays to allow for dedicated staff training and development.
Closing times, which currently vary between 4.30pm and 5pm depending on the branch, will now be standardised to between 3.30pm and 4.30pm.
This means customers who previously had access to branches for longer hours will now lose up to 90 minutes of service each day.
Saturday hours are also being reduced, with branches opening at 9.30am instead of 9am.
Most will close by either 1pm or 3pm, cutting 30 minutes from morning banking services.
These changes will result in a net reduction of banking hours across the week.
For example, customers who rely on branches that currently open at 9am and close at 5pm could lose significant time for banking tasks.
The reduction in opening hours reflects a broader trend in the banking industry, as more customers shift to online and mobile banking.
With fewer people visiting branches in person, banks are cutting back on physical service times.
The changes are set to come into effect on September 29, with staff already being informed of the adjustments.
Customers who rely on in-branch services are being advised to check the new opening hours before planning their visits.
You can check your local branch’s operating hours by visiting branches.lloydsbank.com.
Lloyds Banking Group was contacted for comment.
How do I switch bank accounts?
SWITCHING bank accounts is a simple process and can usually be done through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).
Dozens of high street banks and building societies are signed up – there’s a full list on CASS’ website.
Under the switching service, swapping banks should take seven working days.
You don’t have to remember to move direct debits across when moving, as this is done for you.
All you have to do is apply for the new account you want, and the new bank will tell your existing one you’re moving.
There are a few things you can do before switching though, including choosing your switch date and transferring any old bank statements to your new account.
You should get in touch with your existing bank for any old statements.
When switching current accounts, consider what other perks might come with joining a specific bank or building society.
Some banks offer 0% overdrafts up to a certain limit, and others might offer better rates on savings accounts.
And some banks offer free travel or mobile phone insurance with their current accounts – but these accounts might come with a monthly fee.
Other bank changes
Lloyds, Halifax, NatWest and Bank of Scotland is also closing a total of 119 branches over the next few months.
Last month, the Co-operative Bank announced plans to reduce opening hours at some of its branches by up to three hours a day.
In addition, 18 of these branches will close for one weekday each week.
Starting in January 2026, up to 25 of the affected branches will also shut on Saturdays.
However, the bank has confirmed that none of its branches will be permanently closed as part of these changes.
In June, Santander cut opening hours in half at 36 branches.
This move came as part of a broader restructuring, which also includes the closure of 95 branches and the conversion of 18 to “counter-free” service desks.
In April, Nationwide revised the opening times at 12 high street branches.
This means the days when your local branch would normally be closed have now been shifted to different days of the week.
Customers being forgotten
CUSTOMERS are being forgotten, writes The Sun’s Head of Consumer, Tara Evans.
With branches closing and online banking taking over, customers can be left feeling cut off.
We wrote about forgotten customers on our Sun Money pages in our weekly newspaper section.
People like David Elkins, 82, a retired service engineer from Calne, Wilts, who saw his HSBC branch close in 2023 and had to travel ten miles to the next nearest.
He has a kidney issue and needs frequent dialysis, making it impractical.
Banking hubs are emerging as a solution to address the gaps left by widespread closures – but there are not enough of them.
There are plans for 231 of these, but so far there are only 160.
You can use one of the Post Office’s more than 11,500 branches to perform basic banking tasks, but they don’t allow you to open or close accounts for example.