Use it or lose it

being discouraged to pay in cash was inconvenient.

The Prime Minister said: “We know that cash continues to be used by millions of people, particularly those in vulnerable groups.

“That is why the Financial Services and Markets Bill will, for the first ever time, protect people’s access to cash in UK law.

“The Bill also supports businesses that continue to accept cash by ensuring reasonable access to deposit facilities, but as technology and consumer behaviour changes, it is right that organisations themselves should be able to choose the forms of payment that they will accept.”

Sunak’s Government previously faced calls to consider legislating for retailers and businesses to accept cash payments in March.

Parliament debated the proposal after a 33,499 people signed a petition to “make it illegal for retailers and services to decline cash payments”.

A second petition received 25,021 signatures.

In response to the calls for businesses to accept cash, the Government said: “The Government does not plan to mandate cash acceptance.

“Businesses are able to choose the forms of payment they accept.”

Cash remains a popular form of payment for millions of Britons, especially among the nation’s older population.

Around 5.4 million adults still rely on cash in the UK.

An estimated 73 per cent of consumers also claimed to use cash in January 2022, LINK’s research has shown.

Nationwide even suggested cash is making a post-Covid comeback, with a 19 per cent increase in withdrawals from the building society’s ATMs last year compared to 2021.

Do you think shops should be forced to accept cash?

Let us know.

All The Answers

Spot The Difference

1. Beach towel different colour

2. Plaster missing on beach ball

3. Girl swimsuit different colour

4. Section on parasol different colour

5. Mum sunglasses missing

6. Flag on sandcastle facing other way

7. Girl pigtail missing

8. Starfish missing

9. Flake on ice cream cone missing

10. Different mouth on boy

Quiz Answers

1. Exodus, 2. The M4, 3. Elizabeth Fry, 4. The United Kingdom, 5. Edmund, 6. Saturday (after Saturn), 7. Aston Villa and Birmingham City, 8. Ron Weasley, 9. Paris, 10. Thomas The Tank Engine

Crossword Solution

Across: 1 Curtain-raiser, 7 Envoy, 8 Hatchet, 9 Pyramid, 10 Scone, 11 Osborne, 17 Reeve, 18 Bullion, 20 Country, 21 Sunni, 22 Sierra Leonean.

Down: 1 Creepy, 2 Rivers, 3 Abysm, 4 Artisan, 5 School, 6 Rotten, 8 Hudson Bay, 12 Sweater, 13 Braces, 14 Refuse, 15 Winnie, 16 Indian, 19 Lasso.