Using cash in the UK has gone up for the first time in ten years, says the British Retail Consortium. They found that 19% of purchases were made with cash last year, which is more than the 15% from the year before. People are using more cash because they want to keep a close eye on their money as prices go up. The government is also making new rules to make sure that people can still get cash. If banks can't let people take out or put in cash, they will have to pay a fine. The government wants to make sure that everyone can get cash for free within one mile in cities and three miles in the countryside.

The increase in cash use shows that people are being careful with their money because things are getting more expensive. The pandemic also made people use more cash, even though they were using less before. But the consortium says that card payments are still more popular, and cash use will probably go down again in the future. Shops have to pay more money to accept card payments. In September, UK Finance said that cash use had gone up too, but they think it will go down again when things get better. Even so, people still want to make sure they can get cash because banks and cash machines are closing.

To make sure people can still get cash, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has made new rules for banks and building societies. They have to check if there are places where people can't get cash and fix it. The FCA wants to stop people and businesses from having to pay too much or having trouble getting their money. Banks will have to give more cash services to fill in the gaps, and they have to think about things like how easy it is to get there and how old the people are who live there. The FCA wants to make sure that things change slowly and that people can still get cash if they need it.

The new rules come after the FCA got new powers from the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023. But the FCA can't stop banks from closing branches. They know that more people are using digital payments, but there are still over three million people who need cash, especially people who are more at risk. The new rules want to find a balance between using digital payments and still being able to get cash. The FCA wants people to tell them about their experiences with cash and getting it by getting in touch.

Original news source: Shopping with cash rises for first time in a decade (BBC)

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a slip of paper with a word or phrase related to the article (e.g., "cash", "card payment", "bank closure"). One member of each group will act out the word or phrase without speaking, while the others try to guess what it is. The group that guesses correctly gets a point. Repeat with different words or phrases.
– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students take turns summarizing the main points of the article to their partner. Encourage them to use their own words and focus on the most important information. After both partners have summarized the article, they can compare their summaries and discuss any differences or similarities.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the article (e.g., "Using cash is more secure than using card payments", "Banks should be required to provide cash services in every neighborhood"). Have students circulate the room and ask their classmates for their opinions on each statement. They can record the responses and then share their findings with the class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Give each student a vocabulary word from the article (e.g., "pandemic", "consortium", "Financial Conduct Authority"). Without using any words, students must draw a picture to represent their word. The rest of the class then tries to guess what word is being depicted. This activity can be done individually or in small groups.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students discuss and make predictions about the future of cash use and digital payments based on the information in the article. They should consider factors such as changing consumer behavior, technological advancements, and government regulations. After their discussion, each group can share their predictions with the class and explain their reasoning.

Using cash in the UK has gone up for the first time in ten years, says the British Retail Consortium. They found that 19% of ? were made with cash last year, which is more than the 15% from the year before. ? are using more cash because they want to keep a close eye on their money as prices go up. The ? is also making new rules to make sure that ? can still get cash. If banks can't let people take out or put in cash, they will have to pay a fine. The government wants to make sure that everyone can get cash for free within one mile in cities and three miles in the countryside. The increase in cash use shows that people are being careful with their ? because things are ? more ?. The pandemic also made people use more cash, even though they were using less before. But the consortium says that card payments are still more popular, and cash use will probably go down again in the future. Shops have to pay more money to accept card payments. In September, UK ? said that cash use had gone up too, but they think it will go down again when things get better. Even so, people still want to make sure they can get cash because banks and cash machines are closing. To make sure people can still get cash, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has made new ? for banks and ? societies. They have to ? if there are places where people can't get cash and fix it. The FCA wants to stop people and businesses from having to pay too much or having trouble getting their money. ? will have to give more cash services to fill in the gaps, and they have to think about things like how easy it is to get there and how old the people are who live there. The FCA wants to make sure that things change slowly and that people can still get cash if they need it. The new rules come after the FCA got new ? from the Financial Services and ? Act 2023. But the FCA can't stop ? from closing branches. They know that more people are ? digital payments, but there are still over three million people who need cash, especially people who are more at risk. The new rules want to find a balance between using digital payments and still being able to get cash. The FCA wants people to tell them about their experiences with cash and getting it by getting in touch.

1. What is the British Retail Consortium?
2. How would you feel if you had to pay a fine for not being able to get cash from a bank?
3. Do you like using cash or card payments better? Why?
4. Do you think cash use will continue to increase in the future? Why or why not?
5. What are some reasons people might prefer to use cash instead of card payments?
6. How would you feel if all the banks and cash machines in your area closed?
7. What is the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and what are their new rules for banks?
8. Why do you think the FCA wants to make sure people can still get cash if they need it?
9. What are some advantages and disadvantages of using digital payments?
10. How would you feel if you had to travel a long distance to get cash because there were no banks nearby?
11. Do you think it's important for the government to ensure that everyone can get cash for free? Why or why not?
12. What are some potential problems with using only digital payments and not having access to cash?
13. How would you feel if you had to rely solely on digital payments and couldn't use cash at all?
14. Do you think the FCA's new rules will be effective in ensuring people can still get cash? Why or why not?
15. Have you ever had any difficulties or experiences with getting cash? If so, what were they?

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