Customers of Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland are set for a banking boost as they will soon be able to use any of the group's branches for face-to-face services.

       This move by Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, is part of an ongoing overhaul of its branch network. The group has hailed this as great news for customers, offering them increased choice and convenience. However, union voices have expressed concern that this could lead to a new round of branch closures.

       A Lloyds spokesperson said: "We're always looking for ways to make banking easier and more flexible for our customers so, from later this year, we'll offer customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland the option to use branches of any brand for their in-person banking, alongside our apps, mobile messaging, and telephone services."

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       Currently, call centre staff assist customers across all brands, and the upcoming changes will allow some customers to access a branch closer to home, regardless of the brand. While no specific date has been confirmed, the shake-up is expected to roll out later in 2025.

       Despite the potential benefits, the Banking, Insurance and Finance Union (BIFU) has issued a warning that this strategy might result in further high-street branch closures, reports Plymouth Live. An independent trade union for Lloyds employees, BTU, has revealed that a separate presentation, viewed by the union, indicates that a quarter of its branch network shares the same location.

       This could potentially lead to closures in areas where more than one Lloyds brand currently operates an open branch, according to a message sent to members by the union.

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       It's understood that BTU is not officially recognised as a union, hence its members do not interact with Lloyds. Lloyds has been closing branches in recent years as it focuses on digital banking, which is utilised by approximately 22 million customers, while it reports a significant decline in in-person banking.

       The latest round of closures will result in 55 branches disappearing from high streets across the UK this year.