A domestic abuse charity has urged the government to step in and halt the closure of cash machines with new legislation in next week's Queen's Speech.
Refuge says the move towards a cashless society is "putting lives at risk" and makes it easier for abusers to control and exploit their victims.
Almost a quarter of free-to-use ATMs have vanished since 2018, making it harder for people to get hold of physical money – with many banks also closing local branches.
In 2020 ministers promised to protect access to cash, but a consultation launched last year has not yet led to any legislation.
One economic abuse survivor, speaking under the pseudonym Katie, told The Independent how her ex-husband "wiped out my bank account" and that cash was her only refuge.
Recommended AP News Digest 3:40 am BP and Shell signal British investment despite calls for windfall tax Crisis in British Virgin Islands is latest post-colonial headache
“A cash safety net was really important when I tried to flee, he would track my spending so I couldn’t take lots of cash out of a machine in one go as he’d notice and be able to track the location of the cash point," she said.
"I had to save little pockets of cash gradually over time so it wasn’t detected and was easier to hide from him, this gave me confidence to know I was able to support myself and my son."
Katie said the importance of cash was also "really noticeable after I left my abuser and was left with the long-term debt he’d racked up in my name".
"It took ten years to clear the tens of thousands of pounds of debt that I was left with. Debt plans were very intrusive as all my spending was monitored and every penny had to be accounted for," she said.
“Cash was really important at that time as all my spending on my online statements had to be explained, I kept a cash fund of savings that allowed me to have some control and existed as a rainy day fund, it was awful that I had to sneak out my own money so that it was not traceable by debt collectors but it was essential especially as a mother. "
She added: "If I didn’t have that cash or wasn’t able to use it, I wouldn’t have been able to give my son that life in his early years nor have some confidence and independence over my own spending which had been controlled by my ex-husband and was now being controlled by debt collectors. It was a very traumatic time but having a safety net of cash was really important throughout that period.”
Consumer group Which? has suggested that the financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, could oversee access to cash machines and make sure all areas have easy access to physical money.
Last month research by the consumer champion group showed that since 2015, 4,685 bank branches have shut their doors, with a further 226 already scheduled to close by the end of the year – amounting to about half the UK's total network.
Age UK, a charity representing the interests of older people, has has also said millions of older people are at risk of being cut off without action.
A consultation produced by the government said that “there may be significant benefit in giving a single authority overall responsibility for setting requirements to ensure that the retail distribution of cash meets the needs of consumers and SMEs".
Ruth Davison, CEO of Refuge, said: “The move towards a cashless society is putting lives at risk. Refuge knows just how vital being able to put aside small amounts of cash can be for survivors of domestic abuse, helping them flee an abusive partner.
UK news in pictures Show all 50
1/50UK news in pictures
UK news in pictures 5 May 2022 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at a polling station with his dog Dilyn to vote during local elections in Westminster, London
EPA
UK news in pictures 4 May 2022 Rob Munday, creator of the first officially commissioned 3D/holographic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in 2004, unveils a previously unseen portrait of the monarch to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, in London. The new portrait is named ‘Platinum Queen: Felicity’ and is dedicated to the 20 years of friendship between The Queen and her personal assistant and close friend Miss Angela Kelly
AP
UK news in pictures 3 May 2022 Alex Kelly from Eden Architectural Conservation cleans a gargoyle on the north doorway at Rosslyn Chapel in Roslin, Midlothian, as part of conservation maintenance
PA
UK news in pictures 2 May 2022 People enjoy theme park rides at a funfair at Small Heath Park in Birmingham, as the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end and Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr
PA
UK news in pictures 1 May 2022 England’s Ronnie O’Sullivan in action against England’s Judd Trump during day sixteen of the Betfred World Snooker Championship at The Crucible, Sheffield
PA
UK news in pictures 30 April 2022 Visitors record images amongst azalea and rhododendron blossom in Richmond Park, London
Reuters
UK news in pictures 29 April 2022 A giant puppet, controlled by four people, called Gnomus, the Caretaker of the Earth, performs at Stonehenge, near Amesbury, Wiltshire
PA
UK news in pictures 28 April 2022 The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in a TV studio during a visit to the BBC World Service at BBC Broadcasting House, London, to mark it's 90th year and to thank staff and learn how they are continuing their operations across Ukraine, Russia and Afghanistan
PA
UK news in pictures 27 April 2022 Trafalgar Square in central London is covered in plants and flowers at the launch of an initiative to rewild and protect 2 million hectares of land. The temporary installation, which is made up of over 6000 plants, flowers, and trees, aims to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity in urban spaces, with visitors to the site invited to pick up and rehome one of the plants
PA
UK news in pictures 26 April 2022 One of the Liverbirds that sits atop of the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool, is illuminated just before the sun rises over the city
PA
UK news in pictures 25 April 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson paints over the white line of the centre circle during a visit to Bury FC at their Gigg Lane ground in Bury, Greater Manchester
Getty
UK news in pictures 24 April 2022 A lone Grenadier Guard during the Dawn Service commemorating Anzac Day at the New Zealand Memorial at Hyde Park Corner, London
PA
UK news in pictures 23 April 2022 Killy Cavendish during St George's Day celebrations in London's Trafalgar Square
PA
UK news in pictures 22 April 2022 A demonstrator holds a pink smoke flare billowing over members of Extinction Rebellion staging a protest against the use of and investment in fossil fuel, outside offices of Vanguard Asset Management on Earth Day in the City of London
Reuters
UK news in pictures 21 April 2022 The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC), the City of London's Reserve Army Regiment, fire a 62 Gun Royal Salute at the Tower of London to mark the 96th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II
PA
UK news in pictures 20 April 2022 Stella Morris the wife of Julian Assange talks to the media outside Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, after Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was formally issued with an order for extradition to the US to face espionage charges
PA
UK news in pictures 19 April 2022 Sunrise behind the Bass Rock off the East Lothian coast near North Berwick
PA
UK news in pictures 18 April 2022 Riders dressed as knights take part in the International Jousting Tournament, held at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, northern England
AFP/Getty
UK news in pictures 17 April 2022 Cyclists take part in MacAvalanche, a mass start mountain bike race through the snow, descending over 900m from the summit of Aonach Mor in the Nevis Range near Fort William
PA
UK news in pictures 16 April 2022 Zara Tindall riding Classicals Euro Star takes part in the Barefoot Retreats Burnham Market International Horse Trials in Norfolk
PA
UK news in pictures 15 April 2022 People on the beach in Bournemouth. Good Friday is set to be the hottest day of the year so far, experts have predicted, ahead of "very pleasant" spring conditions over the Easter weekend
PA
UK news in pictures 14 April 2022 Migrants arrive at Dover port after being picked up in the channel by the border force
Getty
UK news in pictures 13 April 2022 A demonstrator is carried away by police outside the Department for Business in London after protesting against oil and gas production
PA
UK news in pictures 12 April 2022 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar (left) arrive for a meeting at Young People’s Futures, a charity investing in the future of Scotland’s young people, as part of a campaign visit in Glasgow
PA
UK news in pictures 11 April 2022 Studio supervisor Emma Meehan adds the final touches to a waxwork of US drag queen RuPaul at the unveiling at Madame Tussauds of the latest waxwork in Blackpool
AFP via Getty
UK news in pictures 10 April 2022 People take part in a protest outside Downing Street in London, over transgender people not being included in plans to ban conversion therapy
PA
UK news in pictures 9 April 2022 Eventual winner Noble Yeats ridden by jockey Sam Waley-Cohen take the water-jump during the Grand National Steeple Chase on the final day of the Grand National at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpoo
AFP/Getty
UK news in pictures 8 April 2022 Police officers work to remove activists from Extinction Rebellion who were hanging from suspension cords beside a giant banner that reads “End fossil fuels now”, as they stage a protest on Tower Bridge, east London, which has been closed to traffic
PA
UK news in pictures 7 April 2022 Lorries queued in Operation Brock on the M20 near Ashford in Kent as freight delays continue at the Port of Dover, in Kent, where P&O ferry services remain suspended after the company sacked 800 workers without notice
PA
UK news in pictures 6 April 2022 Performer Martti Peltonen stands beneath a chocolate easter egg as it is shattered by a crossbow bolt during a photocall for Circus Vegas in Old Deer Park, Richmond, at the start of their first British tour in over four years
PA
UK news in pictures 5 April 2022 New street art which has appeared in Leith, Edinburgh, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The mural features a Nightingale, the official national bird of Ukraine, against the country’s flag
PA
UK news in pictures 4 April 2022 Ai-Da, an ultra-realistic robot named after Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer, paints an image during a photocall in London
AFP/Getty
UK news in pictures 3 April 2022 Cambridge women’s team celebrate after winning the 76th Women’s Boat Race on the River Thames in London
PA
UK news in pictures 2 April 2022 People protest against the rising cost of living outside Downing Street in London
Reuters
UK news in pictures 1 April 2022 Freight and passenger queues waiting to check in at the Port of Dover, Kent, as some ferry services remain suspended at the Port of Dover following P&O Ferries sacking of 800 seafarers without notice
PA
UK news in pictures 31 March 2022 A soldier of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment falls off a horse during a practice to participate in the state ceremonial surrounding this year's Platinum Jubilee celebrations at Hyde Park in London
AP
UK news in pictures 30 March 2022 Sheep in snow on Shetland
SWNS
UK news in pictures 29 March 2022 Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of York arrive at a Service of Thanksgiving for the life of the Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey in London
PA
UK news in pictures 28 March 2022 Performers including dancers from Ukraine rehearse the finale as Blackpool Tower Circus prepares to reopen following ￡1 Million renovation
Getty
UK news in pictures 27 March 2022 Re-enactors in the grounds of Bolton Castle near to Leyburn in North Yorkshire, watch as re-enactors bring alive the story of the Battle of Towton, which took place on March 29th, 1461 at a small village near to York called Towton
PA
UK news in pictures 26 March 2022 Early morning swimmers play with a ball in the sea at Cullercoats Bay on the north east coast of England
PA
UK news in pictures 25 March 2022 A view of lorries queued on the A20 near Dover in Kent as freight delays continue at the Port of Dover where P&O ferry services remain suspended after the company sacked 800 workers without notice last week
PA
UK news in pictures 24 March 2022 A group of people thought to be migrants are are guided up the beach after being brought in to Dungeness, Kent, onboard the RNLI Lifeboat following a small boat incident in the Channel
PA
UK news in pictures 23 March 2022 John Shipton, father of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, walks with his son’s partner Stella Moris as they leave from Belmarsh Prison in London where Moris was set to marry Julian Assange
AFP/Getty
UK news in pictures 22 March 2022 A pedestrian looks at cherry blossom trees in Battersea Park, in London
AFP/Getty
UK news in pictures 21 March 2022 People walk by daffodils and flowering cherry blossom in War Memorial Park in Coventry
PA
UK news in pictures 20 March 2022 The Druid Order Spring Equinox ceremony held at Tower Hill Terrace in London. The druids hold a ceremony celebrating the rise of the light. Ceridwen, the earth mother, brings token seeds which are symbolically sown around a circle. The concern of The Druid Order is with the evolution of humanity in harmony with the universe and to teach through open meetings, ceremonies, meditation and ritual
PA
UK news in pictures 19 March 2022 People take part in the “Stand up to Racism” march in central London to mark UN Anti-Racism Day
PA
UK news in pictures 18 March 2022 A dog walker on Bamburgh Beach in Northumberland
PA
UK news in pictures 17 March 2022 Britain’s Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge presents a traditional sprig of shamrock to the mascot of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards, Irish Wolfhound dog Turlough Mor known as Seamus - and his handler drummer Adam Walsh during a St Patrick’s Day Parade at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, south west of London.
AFP/Getty
“Economic abuse plays a huge part in a perpetrators ability to control and monitor their partner, so the move towards digital first banking and away from cash enables perpetrators to monitor the spending of their partners more closely. Worse still, time and again we have heard from many women that they don’t even have access to their own bank accounts, making cash even more vital.
“The Government must honour its commitments on access to cash and bring forward legislation that would make accessing cash easier for survivors. It could be the difference between women fleeing an abusive partner or forcing them to stay.”
An HM Treasury spokesperson said: “We know that cash remains vital for millions of people and we are committed to protecting access to cash across the UK.
Recommended BP and Shell signal British investment despite calls for windfall tax Crisis in British Virgin Islands is latest post-colonial headache Brexit to blame for ‘crazy’ chicken prices, says poultry industry
“That’s why we have consulted on plans for new laws to make sure people only need to travel a reasonable distance to pay in or take out cash, and have already legislated to enable shops to offer cashback to customers without them having to make a purchase.
“We have considered responses to the consultation and will set out next steps in due course.”