The Halifax brand is being scrapped after 173 years, with every customer account to be rebranded to Lloyds – a move that has dismayed local leaders and triggered warnings about scammers exploiting the change.
Lloyds Banking Group, which has owned Halifax since 2009, confirmed the decision after reports in May said it was considering phasing out the standalone brand. The group said the move was rooted in efforts to simplify its portfolio, with the distinction between Halifax and Lloyds seen as becoming less prominent in recent years.
“Halifax brand to be scrapped after 173 years, all accounts rebranded to Lloyds, sparking local dismay and scam warnings.”
Jas Singh, Lloyds Banking Group’s chief executive of consumer relationships, insisted very little would change for customers. “As Halifax changes to Lloyds, our Halifax customers will keep everything they know and love today – the same fantastic app design, the same friendly faces in our branches – even the same sort code and account number,” he said.
No job cuts are being announced, and Halifax branches will either be rebranded to Lloyds or shifted to a nearby branch throughout 2027. Lloyds said it remained committed to the town of Halifax and the wider Yorkshire and Humber region, where 3,000 staff are based at its Trinity Road office. Customers can no longer open new Halifax accounts on the app or website as of today.
But the decision has stirred anger in West Yorkshire, where Halifax was founded in 1853 as a building society that granted its first mortgage the same year. Calderdale Council’s Reform leader Dan Sutherland said he was “disappointed” that Lloyds had decided to phase out the brand. “We know the Halifax brand is important for many generations of local people who care about the town’s heritage and are proud of the brand’s part in our local traditions, family history and Halifax’s profile across the world,” he said. “As Calderdale’s largest employer, the banking group’s relationship with Halifax as a place remains strong and enduring.” He noted Lloyds had recently invested £116m into a major transformation of the iconic head office building at Trinity Road.
Calderdale Labour Group said the bank was “part of our town’s identity and heritage” and added: “For generations, local people have been proud of the name and what it represents. While we welcome the commitment to keep branches open and protect customers’ accounts, many residents will be saddened to see such an iconic name disappear from our high streets.”
The Mirror’s business editor Graham Hiscott pointed out that Lloyds raked £6.7bn profit in 2025 and warned that “a hideous breed of low life shysters will use the change as way to try to con customers out of their life savings.” Lloyds itself stressed: “We will never ask customers to move money, transfer funds or share security details as part of this change. If anyone contacts a customer asking them to do this, it is a scam.”
The disappearance of Halifax, a brand that once catapulted singing bank teller Howard Brown to fame in the 2000s, follows a wave of branch closures. Lloyds recently announced 79 new branch closures, 75 of which will close in 2026 and four in 2027, including 48 Halifax sites. Other once-staple high street names such as Midland Bank and Abbey National have already vanished, raising fears that Halifax may not be the last.