Worried Britons prepping' for major disruption with stash of tins and cash, survey shows

"Asked what they thought they would do if something happened that meant card and mobile payments were not accepted in shops, 54% of those surveyed said they would withdraw cash from an ATM. Meanwhile: 46% said they would use supplies, such as food, that they had at home; 41% said they would use cash they had on their person to pay for items; 36% said they would use cash they had at home; and 31% said they would shop online. Notably, 15% said they would raid the supply of banknotes and coins that they had kept safe specifically for this type of scenario."

"Link, the UK's ATM network, tracks how people are using, and thinking about, cash and, for the first time, its researchers have asked the public about what contingency planning they are doing to prepare for an event that would cause major disruption to normal services. Link's suggestions include a power outage, IT failure, natural disaster or cyber attack. It did not explicitly mention war or conflict."

"Millions of Britons are prepping for a potential major disruptive event by keeping a stash of cash at home, stockpiling tinned goods or ensuring they have a battery-powered torch close to hand, new data suggests. With war raging in the Middle East and Ukraine, extreme weather becoming more frequent, and warnings that the UK's critical infrastructure is at risk from cyber-attacks and power outages, many people feel the world has become a more dangerous and chaotic place."

"UK experts recently advised people to have an emergency store of food in their home in case something happens that causes shortages. Money and access to it is a big issue for many in a crisis. Photograph: Tony Rolls/Alamy The researchers then asked what people had already done, or were now doing, in preparation for a disruptive event. Almost half (49%) said they had b"

Millions of Britons are building contingency plans that include keeping cash at home, stockpiling tinned goods, and ensuring access to battery-powered lighting. Concerns include war in the Middle East and Ukraine, more frequent extreme weather, and warnings that UK critical infrastructure faces cyber-attacks and power outages. Link’s ATM network surveyed the public about preparations for events that disrupt normal services, including power outages, IT failures, natural disasters, and cyber attacks. If card and mobile payments were unavailable, 54% would withdraw cash from ATMs. Others would rely on home supplies, cash on hand, cash stored at home, or online shopping, and 15% would specifically raid stored banknotes and coins.

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