Seven of the eight months since the new £20 note came out have been spent with coronavirus restrictions in place – but what does that mean if you still have unspent paper ones? We explain exactly how long you have left to use them

What can you do with old, paper, £20 notes? (Image)

On February 20, 2020, the Bank of England released a new, polymer, £20 note – to replace the existing paper ones.

In the eight months since then, it’s fair to say things have been a little unsettled – with lockdown seeing shops close, an accelerating move to contactless payments and a rise in online shopping just a few of the consequences for the global conronavirus pandemic  on the UK.

But if all that means you’ve not quite got round to spending any old, paper, £20 notes – there is some good news.

The Bank of England has said that unspent, paper, £20 notes are still legal tender.

“Don’t worry, you can still use the paper £20 note for now,” the Bank of England’s site reads.

The better news is there’s no rush to spend them – with the Bank also promising 6-months notice before they are withdrawn.