No cash from Bank counter unless you want £500

mwarby

Also longer term, why pay a member of staff to process a withdrawal of say £50, when it can be done from an ATM. Long term they want to minimize counter service and focus staff on selling. For many years banks have also encouraged the use of automatic payin machines for the same reason

hermante

The OP wanted fivers and coins. Very few ATMs give out fivers. If banks want to reduce human staff (virus or not) they need to introduce more machines to give out change. They have these in other countries (and some branches of UK banks).

Staff can and should wear gloves to handle cash, then wash their hands after removing the gloves (virus or not). They do in other countries.

Until cash is outlawed by the government, banks should be obliged to provide cash services.

glider3560

There are many ways your neighbours could pay you, depending on how "techie" they are:

• Bank transfer
• Pay by debit card online as a "gift" on PayPal, or through a Monzo Me, or Starling payment link (all fee free)
• Cheque (some banks allow you to pay in cheques up to £500 by taking a photo using their app, so no bank visits needed)

Frogletina

Be_Happy said:

I make all my payments by Contactless/Pin card, so have no ready supply of cash.  Elderly neighbours who ask me to get items of shopping for them while I'm shopping have no small change to pay me and I had run out of change to give them, so went to my bank to draw out £100, half in £1s, £2s, £5s etc.  Was given the cash but told that as from next week counter staff would only pay out cash if over £500.  All other cash only from ATMs, 
As the counter clerk gave me the coins in pre-packaged bags, didn't see what the problem was unless they are trying to restrict all use of coins.

If you are needing to give them change I'm assuming they are giving you cash in notes.

All you need to do is keep a tally of what you buy. Ask for a top up when you've exceeded the money they've given you. Or pay with the notes they give you and get the change from the shops. 

My neighbour is buying odd bits from me and hasn't asked for money yet, says will when it gets to £20. I could easily give her £20 in advance by cash or transfer, she's chosen the method that suits her.

mwarby

hermante said:

Until cash is outlawed by the government, banks should be obliged to provide cash services.

Doesn't seem to be the way things are going.

Banks are closing branches, new banks are often online only (Monzo, Starling, Revolt(ok not actually a bank) etc), not sure they can be obliged to provide cash services. I suppose they could partner with the post office. We then get to the question of should they be obliged to provide this service for free ? if it's not free its marginalizing cash(which could be said to be disadvantaging the poor), if it's free we have cross subsidisation (which harks back to the should overdraft users or payers of penalty fees be subsidizing free banking)

I've not been given a chequebook with new accounts for some time, with some banks you can ask for one, with the newer app based banks this isn't an option, but should they be obliged to in the basis its not illeagal ?

molerat

Many banks have had a minimum over the counter cash limit for a long time, Santander is £300.

[Deleted User]

Pay for the shopping separately with their money and keep their change separate with their receipt. This was the normal thing done pre-corona. Unless the shops are only allowing one transaction per customer now.

Thrugelmir

Banks are operating shorter opening hours with reduced staff. Cash can be dispensed by an ATM. Everyone has to make adjustments at this difficult time. 

Be_Happy

Thanks for all your comments.  

Ergates

hermante said:

The OP wanted fivers and coins. Very few ATMs give out fivers. If banks want to reduce human staff (virus or not) they need to introduce more machines to give out change. They have these in other countries (and some branches of UK banks).

Staff can and should wear gloves to handle cash, then wash their hands after removing the gloves (virus or not). They do in other countries.

Until cash is outlawed by the government, banks should be obliged to provide cash services.

Any ideas of what services banks should or shouldn't be obliged to provide would be suspended during the current pandemic anyway.  We should all be taking every possible and reasonable step to avoid all contact with other people.  It's hard to argue that withdrawing cash in the form of coins is *essential*.  It might be the easiest way for the OP to deal with their neighbours money, but it's not the only way (for instance, bank transfers as multiple people have suggested).  Now is not the time to be refusing to take up new ideas because people prefer the old way.