The fight for cheques is not over, says Age UK

Age UK has written to the UK's major banks and building societies  asking  them to set out  the steps they are taking to  ensure that cheques continue to be widely accepted and easily available.

The move comes amid mounting concern that cheques are still in jeopardy despite the Payments Council announcement in July that they will remain as long as needed.

Since that announcement, banks and building societies have remained silent on what they will do to bolster confidence in cheques after they abolished the guarantee card in June.

Age UK has received growing numbers of complaints from the public about retailers refusing to accept cheques.

Age UK's Charity Director, Michelle Mitchell said: "Confidence in cheques was seriously undermined when the guarantee card was abolished.  We need to know there are definite plans in place to restore trust in them.  Otherwise, cheques will simply be allowed to wither away and their demise will be blamed on  lack of demand.

"Cheques are too important to many older people to just fade away, particularly as the banks and building societies have not come up with an alternative payment system which is safe and accessible and allows people to maintain their financial independence."

Nearly three out of four people over 65 have used a cheque in the last 12 months. That figure is 60 per cent for the rest of the public.  

Research shows that without cheques, many older people would be forced to keep sizeable quantities of cash at home to pay their bills or have to divulge their PIN to others in order to access their own money, making them more vulnerable to theft or financial abuse.