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There’s only one month left to use paper £20 and £50 notes

daniellelevy
Written By:
Posted:
31/08/2022
Updated:
31/08/2022

Don’t forget to spend or swap any paper £20 or £50 notes before they lose their legal tender status.

These paper notes will be withdrawn from circulation after 30 September 2022, so you will no longer be able to spend them.

Until then, both the polymer and paper £20 and £50 notes can be used. Shoppers are encouraged to spend or swap the old notes at a bank or Post Office.

The Bank of England said while the majority of paper £20 and £50 banknotes in circulation have been replaced with new polymer versions, there are still over £6bn worth of paper £20 notes featuring the economist Adam Smith, and over £8bn worth of paper £50 banknotes featuring the engineers Boulton and Watt in circulation.

That’s more than 300 million individual £20 banknotes, and 160 million paper £50 banknotes.