Halifax is changing to Lloyds: what it means for your money
Lloyds Banking Group announced on 1 July 2026 that the Halifax brand will change to Lloyds. It is a change of name, not of bank. Halifax is a division of Bank of Scotland plc, and Halifax money stays there: the same sort code, the same account number, and a separate £120,000 FSCS limit from Lloyds Bank plc, even once the account says Lloyds. Halifax customers are being moved to the Lloyds app, and Halifax branches change to Lloyds during 2027.
What changes and what doesn't
| What the group says | |
|---|---|
| Your bank | Unchanged: Halifax accounts stay with Bank of Scotland plc. "Their money is safe and remains exactly where it is." |
| Sort code and account number | Unchanged, as are card PINs, standing orders, direct debits, and policy and roll numbers. |
| FSCS protection | Unchanged: "Anything customers have in existing Halifax accounts will continue to be separate to any balances in new Lloyds accounts." |
| App and online banking | Halifax customers move to the Lloyds app and online banking; the Halifax app and online banking "will eventually stop working". |
| Branches | Throughout 2027, each Halifax branch either becomes a Lloyds branch or, where a Lloyds branch is close by, its customers are served there. |
| Cards | New Lloyds-branded debit and credit cards will be sent "in the future", with the same PIN. |
| New accounts | The Halifax brand will stop opening new accounts later in 2026. |
| Bank of Scotland | No change: it stays the group's brand in Scotland. |
Your FSCS protection: check the sort code, not the name
FSCS protection follows the banking licence, not the brand. Lloyds Banking Group has two UK deposit-taking banks, and both now use the Lloyds name:
| Sort code starts | Your money is with | Shares one £120,000 limit with |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Bank of Scotland plc (FCA 169628) | Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Bank of Scotland Private Banking, and Lloyds-branded accounts with sort codes starting 11, including Halifax accounts renamed Lloyds |
| 30 or 77 | Lloyds Bank plc (FCA 119278) | Other Lloyds Bank plc accounts |
So a Halifax account renamed Lloyds keeps its own limit, separate from an account you already had with Lloyds Bank, and you can still hold £120,000 in each. A new Lloyds account opened after the change is a Lloyds Bank plc account if its sort code starts 30 or 77. Halifax's own FSCS page warns that deposits above the limit across Halifax, Bank of Scotland and sort-code-11 Lloyds accounts "are unlikely to be covered".
The group has announced no transfer of Halifax's business from Bank of Scotland plc to Lloyds Bank plc. That is what would merge the two limits, as happened when Virgin Money moved into Nationwide, and it would need notice to customers first (see FSCS protection when banks merge). Bank of Scotland plc's credit ratings are what apply to Halifax money: see the Halifax credit rating and safety page.
The Halifax app and online banking
Halifax invites customers to move to the Lloyds app and online banking, from inside the Halifax app and by email, with "no passwords or memorable details to set up". All Halifax accounts, statements and history move across. The Lloyds app is the same design as the Halifax app. Once you have moved, the Halifax app stops working for you. If you never move, Halifax says you will lose digital access but can still manage your accounts in a branch or by phone, and a paperless customer loses the online banking inbox.
Halifax's own pages give no single closing date; they say it "will eventually stop working". MoneySavingExpert and Which? both reported that the Halifax app and online banking would close on 1 November 2026, with 31 October the last day to move with full access; a Lloyds reply quoted in the press said closure would begin from 5 October 2026 and that each customer gets a notice with their own date. Those dates are from press reports.
Halifax branches
"The vast majority of Halifax branches will change to Lloyds." During 2027, a Halifax branch either rebrands to Lloyds or, where there is a Lloyds branch nearby, its customers are served at that branch. The group said the brand change itself includes no branch closures and no change to closures it had already announced. Customers of every group brand have been able to use any Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland branch since early 2025. Closures already announced are on our Halifax branch closures page.
Mortgages, savings, cards, loans and investments
| Mortgages | Your mortgage will eventually be rebranded to Lloyds; its terms and payments do not change and there is no remortgage application. Halifax still offers new mortgages through its website, advisers and brokers; Halifax Intermediaries becomes Lloyds Intermediaries in 2027. |
| Savings and ISAs | Sort code, account number and terms stay the same; the group says it will not change interest rates as part of the change. Your ISA allowance and how you pay in are unchanged. |
| Current accounts | Same account, overdraft limit, sort code and PIN; a Lloyds debit card will be sent in the future. |
| Credit cards | A Lloyds-branded card will be sent in the future, with the same PIN and statement dates. Halifax and Lloyds credit card accounts stay separate. |
| Loans | A Halifax loan stays Halifax until it is paid off. |
| Share dealing | Halifax Share Dealing Limited carries on as normal; accounts will eventually be rebranded to Lloyds and stay separate from Lloyds share dealing accounts. |
| Insurance and protection | Protection policies stay with Scottish Widows on the same terms, cover and premiums. |
Frequently asked questions
Is Halifax being scrapped?
The Halifax name is. Lloyds Banking Group announced on 1 July 2026 that the Halifax brand will change to Lloyds: customers move to the Lloyds app, accounts are rebranded over time and branches change to Lloyds during 2027. The bank behind Halifax, Bank of Scotland plc, is not changing, and Halifax money stays with it.
What happens to my Halifax account when it changes to Lloyds?
It stays the same account at the same bank, Bank of Scotland plc, with the same sort code, account number, PIN, standing orders and direct debits. It will carry the Lloyds name, you will use the Lloyds app, and you will be sent a Lloyds card in the future. Lloyds Banking Group says customers' money remains exactly where it is.
Do Halifax and Lloyds share FSCS protection?
No. Halifax accounts are with Bank of Scotland plc and Lloyds accounts with sort codes starting 30 or 77 are with Lloyds Bank plc, so each has its own £120,000 limit. The group says existing Halifax balances stay separate from new Lloyds accounts after the change. Halifax does share one limit with Bank of Scotland and with Lloyds-branded accounts whose sort code starts 11.
Is the Halifax app closing?
Yes. Halifax customers are being moved to the Lloyds app and online banking, and Halifax says its app and online banking will eventually stop working. MoneySavingExpert and Which? reported that they would close on 1 November 2026; Halifax's own pages give no single date, and each customer is sent a notice with theirs.
Will my Halifax sort code and account number change?
No. Lloyds Banking Group says account numbers and sort codes will stay the same.
Are Halifax branches closing?
The brand change includes no branch closures, the group says. During 2027 each Halifax branch either becomes a Lloyds branch or, where a Lloyds branch is close by, its customers are served there. Closures announced before the change still go ahead.
Is Halifax the same bank as Lloyds?
They are in the same group but are different banks. Halifax is a division of Bank of Scotland plc, and Lloyds is mainly Lloyds Bank plc; both are owned by Lloyds Banking Group. The Lloyds name is also used by Bank of Scotland plc for accounts with sort codes starting 11.
What happens to my Halifax mortgage, savings or ISA?
They stay with Bank of Scotland plc on the same terms. Mortgages will eventually be rebranded to Lloyds with no change to payments; savings and ISAs keep their sort code, account number and terms, and the group says it will not change interest rates as part of the brand change.
Is Bank of Scotland changing to Lloyds?
No. Bank of Scotland stays the group's lead brand in Scotland. Halifax customers in Scotland are also being moved to Lloyds, but Halifax says it will help anyone who prefers to move their accounts to Bank of Scotland.
Sources
- Lloyds Banking Group, Lloyds Banking Group announces Halifax to rebrand to Lloyds (1 July 2026)
- Lloyds Banking Group, Our brands: Halifax (read 3 November 2026)
- Halifax, The Halifax brand is changing to Lloyds (archived copy) (copy of 27 September 2026)
- Halifax, Brand change FAQs (archived copy) (copy of 3 August 2026)
- Halifax, Financial Services Compensation Scheme (archived copy) (copy of 10 August 2026)
- Halifax, Brands and legal entities (archived copy) (copy of 2 September 2026)
- Halifax, Brand change: current account FAQs (archived copy) (copy of 2 September 2026)
- Halifax, Brand change: mortgage FAQs (archived copy) (copy of 2 September 2026)
- Halifax, Brand change: savings FAQs (archived copy) (copy of 10 July 2026)
- Halifax, Brand change: credit card FAQs (archived copy) (copy of 10 July 2026)
- Halifax, Brand change: loans FAQs (archived copy) (copy of 10 July 2026)
- Halifax, Brand change: investing and pensions FAQs (archived copy) (copy of 27 September 2026)
- Halifax, Brand change: protection FAQs (archived copy) (copy of 10 July 2026)
- Companies House, Bank of Scotland plc (SC327000) filing history (read 3 November 2026)
- MoneySavingExpert, Halifax customer? Your online banking will be axed THIS WEEK (press report) (edited 27 October 2026)
- Which?, Halifax brand axed as customers moved to Lloyds: what you need to know (press report) (14 October 2026)