The rush to a cashless society is increasingly marginalising the elderly and disabled

People are increasingly finding themselves cut off from retailers and services they rely on. This must be addressed as a matter of urgency, writes James Moore

No longer welcome? An increasing number of businesses are going cash-free (PA)

Access to cash matters, as has been recognised by financial watchdogs.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Payment Systems Regulator together publish data on the location of cash access points, including information about opening hours and accessibility, every three months.

The latest report, published last week, found that 95.5 per cent of the UK population is currently within 2km of one of these, with 99.7 per cent within 5km.