Budgeting shoppers ditch cards for cash For the past year supermarket executives have talked of shoppers walking into stores with a £10 or £20 note and putting products back on the shelf if they break their self-imposed budget. The Payments Council said the biggest cash-only users were the disabled, job seekers or students, on income of less than £9,999. But David Hensley, head of cash, said the UK was one of the few European countries where the ATM network was still growing. He said: "We are currently seeing an increase in withdrawals. Cash is still a vital part of our day to day lives. Debit cards volumes are now expected to overtake cash, but in 2022, a year later than previously forecast. By then cash is expected to account for a third of all transactions. The Payments Council insisted the Bank of England's push to get more £5 notes in circulation was working - with fivers accounting for 1.7 per cent of all notes paid out by ATMs in 2012, up from 1 per cent in 2011. The £20 note made up for nearly two-thirds of withdrawals. Read tip-offs on the best offers in our weekly money newsletter