Consumer Council publishes Access to Banking research

The Consumer Council in Northern Ireland (CCNI) published its Access to Banking Services research in June 2023, which found that between May 2020 and January 2023, 52 bank branches closed in Northern Ireland, some 27% of the total network¹.

The research was subsequently cited in a report by the Northern Ireland Assembly's Committee for Finance, published on 10 September 2025, which examined the local banking and financial services landscape¹. The committee's report states that the CCNI's further analysis suggests the figure is likely to reach 40% in 2025, and that in an analysis of bank closures from 2020 to 2023, 21% of consumers had seen their local bank close within that period¹.

The committee report also sets out findings on cash reliance and business lending. It states that living in Northern Ireland makes an individual more than twice as likely to rely on cash than a similar individual in England, and that not being in employment, being permanently sick or disabled, or being retired makes an individual 83% more likely to rely on cash than average¹. On business lending, the report says figures provided to the committee suggest lending to SMEs is £4bn less today than it was in 2014, a cash comparison which does not account for inflation¹. SMEs make up 99.8% of businesses in Northern Ireland, employ 77% of the private sector workforce and are responsible for over 70% of private sector annual turnover, according to the report¹.

The committee's inquiry was agreed at its meeting on 21 October 2024, when it decided to launch an inquiry into the local banking and financial services sector¹. The report notes that new rules came into force in September 2024 from the Financial Conduct Authority requiring banks and building societies designated by the UK Government to assess and fill gaps, or potential gaps, in cash access provision¹. It adds that the Financial Services and Markets Act came into force in September 2024, and that the Act does not give the FCA the power to prevent the closure of bank branches¹.

Why it matters for households

The closures recorded by the CCNI cover the period from May 2020 to January 2023, and the committee's report indicates the proportion of the network lost could reach 40% during 2025¹. For households in areas that have lost their last branch, the practical effect is fewer places to withdraw cash, deposit money or speak to staff face to face. The report states that people in Northern Ireland are more than twice as likely to rely on cash as similar individuals in England, and that certain groups, including those not in employment, permanently sick or disabled, or retired, are 83% more likely to rely on cash than average¹.

The report notes that the FCA suggests gaps in cash access can be filled with measures including Banking Hubs, ATMs (including deposit ATMs) and Post Office facilities, but states the committee believes these options do not always provide definitive solutions in every area or community without physical banking facilities¹. It also records that the FSMA does not give the FCA the power to prevent branch closures, though new rules require banks to fully explain a decision to close, particularly where closures would leave significant gaps in local cash access¹.

For small and micro businesses, the report says lending to SMEs is £4bn less today than in 2014 in cash terms, a comparison that does not account for inflation¹. It also states that charging for the use of rural ATMs is a key issue the committee has raised with the UK Government's Financial Inclusion Committee¹.

What happens next

The UK Government announced in December 2024 that it would develop a Financial Inclusion Strategy, and set up a Financial Inclusion Committee in April 2025 to support its development, which the report says will report by the end of this year¹. The committee states it has written to the Financial Inclusion Committee to share its findings and to highlight rural ATM charging¹. The report was ordered by the Committee for Finance to be published on 10 September 2025 and was embargoed until 1.00pm on 23 September 2025¹.