Published: 1 July 2026
What you need to know
The 173-year-old Halifax brand is being scrapped. Lloyds Banking Group confirmed today that all Halifax customer accounts will be rebranded to Lloyds. No accounts will be closed, no branches will shut and no jobs are being cut. Your sort code, account number and FSCS protection remain unchanged. Halifax has stopped accepting new customers with immediate effect.
- Your account number and sort code: unchanged.
- Branches: 190 Halifax branches will rebrand to Lloyds by 2027. None will close.
- FSCS protection: continues unchanged throughout the transition.
- Halifax app: will be retired. Users invited to Lloyds app in coming weeks.
- Mortgages: Halifax Intermediaries transitions to Lloyds Intermediaries in 2027.
- New customers: Halifax stopped accepting new accounts today.
Lloyds Banking Group announced this morning that it is retiring the Halifax brand after 173 years, consolidating its English, Welsh and Northern Irish retail banking under the Lloyds name alone. Halifax was founded in West Yorkshire in 1853, became the UK's largest building society, demutualised in 1997, merged with Bank of Scotland to form HBOS, and was acquired by Lloyds in a snap emergency deal at the height of the 2008 financial crisis. That acquisition effectively saved HBOS from collapse but absorbed Halifax permanently into the Lloyds Banking Group structure.
The decision to retire the Halifax brand was flagged in May 2026 when reports suggested Lloyds was considering phasing it out. Today's confirmation ends that speculation. The rationale given by Lloyds is simplification: with Halifax and Lloyds increasingly indistinguishable in digital banking terms, maintaining two separate retail brands carried cost without commercial benefit.
What is changing and when
| Change | When | Impact on customers |
|---|---|---|
| No new Halifax accounts | Today, 1 July 2026 | New customers must use Lloyds instead |
| Halifax app retired, move to Lloyds app | Coming weeks | You will be invited to switch. Same account, new app. |
| Accounts rebranded to Lloyds | Over coming months | Account number, sort code and debit card unchanged |
| 190 branches rebranded to Lloyds | From early 2027 | No closures. Same staff, same locations. |
| Halifax Intermediaries to Lloyds Intermediaries | 2027 | Mortgage brokers: Halifax deals continue until rebrand |
What stays exactly the same
What Halifax customers need to do
Nothing right now. Lloyds will contact all Halifax customers by app, online banking, email and letter with instructions at each stage of the transition. Do not take any action unless contacted directly. Lloyds has confirmed customers will not lose access to their money at any point during the changeover.
- Direct debits and standing orders will transfer automatically. You do not need to notify your employer, HMRC or any company you pay by direct debit.
- Halifax app users will be invited to download the Lloyds app and migrate their account. You do not need to do this until invited.
- Halifax mortgage customers will see their mortgage transfer to Lloyds. Halifax mortgage deals through intermediaries continue until 2027.
- Customers who want Bank of Scotland instead of Lloyds can request to move their accounts to Bank of Scotland, which remains a separate Lloyds Banking Group brand.
Super Prize Draw: four chances to win up to £1 million
As part of the rebrand, Halifax is automatically entering all eligible current or savings account holders into a Super Prize Draw. There are four draws taking place between August and November 2026, with prizes ranging from £1,000 to £1,000,000. You may receive extra entries based on your cumulative account balances, with one additional entry for every £10,000 you hold. There is nothing you need to do to enter, and taking part does not affect how your account works. You can opt out at any time.
Your questions answered: Halifax brand change FAQ
Sources: Halifax brand change FAQ (halifax.co.uk/brand-change/change-faqs.html); Halifax credit card FAQ (halifax.co.uk/brand-change/credit-cards-faqs.html); Lloyds Banking Group press release 1 July 2026; BBC News; The Guardian.
The end of a 173-year brand
Halifax was founded in 1853 as the Halifax Permanent Benefit Building Society, named after the West Yorkshire town that grew wealthy on wool and textiles. It spent most of its existence as a mutual building society, eventually becoming the UK's largest, before demutualising and floating on the London Stock Exchange in 1997. The float gave millions of account holders windfall shares, one of the defining financial events of 1990s Britain.
Halifax merged with Bank of Scotland to form HBOS in 2001. The group collapsed during the 2008 financial crisis under the weight of aggressive mortgage lending and was acquired by Lloyds TSB in a government-brokered emergency rescue. The acquisition created Lloyds Banking Group but left Halifax operating as a largely autonomous brand within it for nearly two decades. Today's announcement ends that chapter.
This section is for information only and does not constitute financial advice. Details of the Halifax to Lloyds rebrand may be updated by Lloyds Banking Group as the transition proceeds; verify your own account status directly with Halifax or Lloyds before acting on any communication.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my sort code and account number change?
No. Lloyds Banking Group has confirmed that existing Halifax customers keep the same sort code and account number. Only the branding, app and physical signage change, not the underlying account details.
Do I need to do anything right now?
No. Lloyds says there is nothing customers need to do immediately. Halifax will contact customers directly over the coming weeks through the Halifax app, online banking, email and letter, inviting them to move across to the Lloyds app in their own time.
Is my money still protected under the FSCS?
Yes, and separately from any Lloyds accounts held at the same time. Lloyds Banking Group's own announcement states that balances in existing Halifax accounts will continue to be protected separately from balances in any new Lloyds accounts. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme protects eligible deposits up to £85,000 per person, per authorised firm.
Will my local Halifax branch close?
Not as a direct result of this specific rebrand: Lloyds Banking Group states there are no changes to previously announced branch plans and no role reductions tied to this announcement. Separately, the wider group has an ongoing branch closure programme (79 further closures on top of 95 already planned across its brands), so a branch closing nearby may be part of that existing programme rather than this rebrand.
Can I still open a new Halifax account?
No. Halifax has stopped opening new accounts as part of the phase-out. New customers will be onboarded under the Lloyds brand instead.
What happens to my Halifax mortgage or Halifax Intermediaries account?
Halifax Intermediaries, the broker-facing arm used to arrange mortgages, will rebrand to Lloyds Intermediaries in 2027. Existing mortgage terms are not affected by the brand change itself; brokers and customers will be notified ahead of the switch.
Is Bank of Scotland also being scrapped?
No. Bank of Scotland is unaffected by this announcement and continues to operate as the group's dedicated brand for customers in Scotland. Only the Halifax brand in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is being retired.
How do I know if a message about switching my account is genuine?
Lloyds Banking Group has explicitly warned that it will never ask customers to move money, transfer funds or share security details as part of this change. If a message, call or text asks for any of these, treat it as a scam and contact your bank directly using the number on your card or its official app, not any number or link provided in the message itself.
Is this the same as what is happening to TSB?
No, these are separate stories. Halifax is being folded into its existing owner, Lloyds Banking Group. TSB is a different bank that Santander acquired in 2025, and separate reports suggest Santander is considering retiring the TSB brand; that decision has not been confirmed.
