I budget by cutting back on certain things, I eat less expensive food so I can do more with my child, I also put myself into debt by missing energy bills. I know it is shooting myself in the foot for the future. I’ll probably be in debt for the rest of my life and I’ve never even had a credit card.

This is a really, really hard one to answer. I basically try my very best not to use anything, Superfluous or extra every month and what little money I do get from the ex-husband, and I try not to use that, which means we're really, really sure every month of them, you know, I'm living on a shoestring.

Because I find that, sometimes he stops it, you know, to go on holiday and blah blah blah by the time the CSA or whatever the corner now, get back to him, it takes three or four months and then he pays it off in installments and and we go round and round. He knows how to play the system and he starts playing again just before the send them to caught. They've done it loads of times. So that money is then saved, whatever it is normally in cash.

We got it 100 or 50 pound a month.

Take care.

Yesterday I went to work in one of the offices to save using my heating has sat still on the laptop means having to keep warm by using the heating instead of moving about. I will do this so I can have my heating on in the night too has if it’s too cold I can’t sleep unless I am warm first. I also work from the library which is always warm and welcoming.

Do I need services to take cash as well as card payments?

Yes! Absolutely, I do. I need everywhere that accepts payment to accept cash and to continue to accept cash rather than become a cashless venue.

I find it much easier to stick to our budget with cash as it is impossible to overspend, even if I am unwell, not able to concentrate or feeling impulsive due to mental ill health. I know a lot of other people with Bipolar and impulsivity issues find this too. If we only have cash, not a bank card in our purse, it is a form of damage limitation, we can only spend what we actually have, and not access more. It is actually written in my care plan for my partner to remove my bank card and issue me a small amount of cash, when I begin to experience impulsivity symptoms. If services did not accept cash it would prevent me buying small personal items, interacting with staff and remove my independence and autonomy during periods of mental ill health.

If services did not accept cash, it would become extremely difficult to teach children and give them experience of money, budgeting, spending and saving which is a vital life skill.

People in crisis and desperate situations also rely on cash being accepted, to survive or escape domestic violence, homelessness and destitution. When I was homeless and couldn't access my personal documents or bank account, cash was a lifesaver.

Complete dependence on card payments is catastrophic when the systems crash or get hacked and people can't even buy a loaf of bread or a train ticket to work.

Apart from the practical matters, for many people, especially the elderly, isolated, people with learning disabilities and mental health conditions going to make a purchase and paying cash to a human cashier may be our only social interaction outside the home that day. Paying by card at a machine (whilst good to have that option as well) further isolates those on a very tight budget, the oldest and youngest members of society, adults and those who survive hand to mouth, day to day. In short the least wealthy and most vulnerable people in our communities would suffer, struggle and become further isolated, alienated and our lives impoverished if the UK became a cashless society.

I have not been able to go food shopping because I haven’t had the money and getting my ESA fortnightly by the time it goes back in my bank. I’m usually £150 overdrawn so most of my next payment gets eaten up by the vicious cycle that I’m stuck in unfortunately

Yesterday I was having an ASD burnout and could not get to the supermarket so I went to the local fish and chip shop which I haven’t been to in a long long time and I was absolutely shocked to see that a piece of cod now cost £10.20. I just think how the hell are people getting away with charging this much why is the government not addressing the cost of food? We should all be able to buy food if the government addressed these big greedy companies that are profiting from our circumstances

we could afford to buy food, I have had to go without meals the last two nights. I’ve eaten a bowl of cereal and fed my kids some scraps out of the cupboard. I really thought when I went to Parliament in June with the Trussell Trust and spoke to MPs that they would take this on board and realise the seriousness of the current situation that we are all facing but no we are now in November and I attended another meeting at Parliament explaining that 1.4 million food parcels have been given out in the last six months they just don’t get it or you hear well we need to get these sick people back to work and I said to them how do you get a sick person back to work when they’re too sick to go to work and then you could see their brain cogs wiring away! It’s absolutely shocking that we’ve got these people running our country. I thought conservatives were bad but labour just really don’t get it at all.

I find budgeting extremely difficult due to being AUDHD and managing my mental health. One strategy I use to maintain some control is relying on cash for everyday spending. Using cash helps me visually track what I’m spending and ensures I stick to the limited budget I have as someone on Universal Credit. When I use my card, it’s almost impossible to track payments in real time, which leads to chaos and added stress. The thought of a cashless society feels like another hurdle for people like me, who already face enough challenges.

Beyond personal budgeting, removing cash creates broader problems. For instance, it gives the government more visibility into how and where we spend our money, which feels like an overreach and an invasion of privacy. It also creates practical issues—if card systems go down, as I’ve experienced before, people without cash are left stranded. I live in a rural area, so if I can’t pay for shopping due to server issues, I may not be able to return to the store because I can’t afford more petrol. The consequences for me and others like me are severe.

A cashless society disproportionately affects neurodivergent people, like myself, who already struggle with budgeting and financial management. It’s yet another barrier to independence and stability. Cash is more than just physical currency—it’s a tool that many of us rely on to manage our lives effectively. Taking it away creates unnecessary disadvantages for some of the most vulnerable members of society

Well I'm fed up doing big food shop monthly and every week it's costing way too much on top that pay taxis to school and my son struggles toileting and he's 10 and goes through pants and pull ups like no tomoz x

I use both card and cash it's 50/50 x

Yes, I rely on business who accepting cash as well as card payment as both payment systems needed to be on going on to the financial sectors. Lots of people are working in such places where they paid in cash and they need to spend money on to market to buy their products. If all goes cashless then this groups of people will face difficulties.

Sometimes face difficulties to pay cash as some outlets not accepting cash and accept only cards.

Yes, Government should always require some places to accept cash. Specially at the supermarkets where people buy their groceries and in transportation.

Blooming BT at it again with shoody service.. Overcharged me more than £100 on phone calls.

😤😤😤

I'm supposed to be on a social tariff, there's nothing in my contract to say what it is I'm paying for exactly.

Why can't large corporations get it right with our data?! I'm coming up against these issues with different bill payments time and time again.

Last week the agent from the water company argued with me about my property being on a water meter already when I enquired about cheaper bills for my circumstances. How they expect elderly or disabled people to take meter readings from a grid in the street goodness only knows. I'm in this category and isolated as it is, so no asking for help from anyone in a hurry.

I seem to be reminding these companies that I am the customer not an employee. I'm tired of doing their jobs for them. The missing gas meter at my address was a nightmare to resolve. I broke down in tears over the phone to the agent with the energy company simply because I wanted to pay my bills. Eventually transpired my postcode was incorrect on their national database. Human error and technology to blame. Still waiting for an apology because neither of the energy companies were prepared to take ownership of the issue until I was in tears to one of them. That's what it took for the agent to realise the error.

Seeing how we're expected to pay more for everything I want "better bang for my buck". Also, all of them are making billions in profits so why should we be given sloppy service for our money?

You would hope that when you provide companies with your data that you trust they look after it. Not send out emails offering refunds for mistakes they made that are nothing to do with you and your account but we're for a previous account holder.

You would think when they were making small talk with you in a call, they would actually listen to what you said, rather than reply with 'right' when you shared extraordinarily great news. Then end a call which left you feeling angry about with "have a great rest of your day/week etc which in my mind is, completely inappropriate. And no I won't complete your survey today either unless you want yo pay me for my time and efforts?!!!

Sheesh!!! I've had it with them all. Any more for any more!? Take your meter readings from that then... Imagine how many more unsuspecting customers are being charged for more than they are using!?

Hi everyone, I hope everyone is keeping warm is snowing here where I live Glasgow,

My thoughts is it will be better if they accept both cash payments and card payments too, to make it easier for everyone is not everyone's that wants to carry their atm card all the time. Thanks

My partner is a local authority worker and will be getting back pay as part of the pay award for the pay dispute for the last financial year. But not a single organisation, the union, the CAB, his payroll department or even scope have been able to advise on exactly how it will affect our universal credit. We're also being reviewed which is terrifying. I feel like I have no financial security, no financial privacy, and there's no definitive answers. Just before Christmas too.