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Majority 'still to claim' over PPI mis-selling | Majority 'still to claim' over PPI mis-selling |
(35 minutes later) | |
The majority of people mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) may not yet have made a claim for compensation, the regulator has said. | The majority of people mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) may not yet have made a claim for compensation, the regulator has said. |
A deadline of 29 August, 2019, has been set by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for the final claims to be made. | A deadline of 29 August, 2019, has been set by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for the final claims to be made. |
A major advertising campaign by the FCA marking the two-year countdown will be unveiled later, urging people to act. | A major advertising campaign by the FCA marking the two-year countdown will be unveiled later, urging people to act. |
So far, £27bn has been paid out in compensation with major banks having set aside more than £37bn. | So far, £27bn has been paid out in compensation with major banks having set aside more than £37bn. |
PPI was supposed to cover repayments of loans if policyholders fell ill or lost their job. | PPI was supposed to cover repayments of loans if policyholders fell ill or lost their job. |
Millions of people who did not want or need PPI, or could have never made a claim, were mis-sold PPI primarily between 1990 and 2010. The subsequent compensation scheme has revealed it to be the UK's biggest financial mis-selling scandal. | Millions of people who did not want or need PPI, or could have never made a claim, were mis-sold PPI primarily between 1990 and 2010. The subsequent compensation scheme has revealed it to be the UK's biggest financial mis-selling scandal. |
Up to 64 million policies were sold in the UK, with a gross premium of £44bn, although some of these would have been legitimate and not mis-sold. | Up to 64 million policies were sold in the UK, with a gross premium of £44bn, although some of these would have been legitimate and not mis-sold. |
Some 12 million people have successfully claimed compensation for being mis-sold PPI. They should have been repaid premiums in full, as well as interest of 8% a year to cover the lost spending power had they kept the money. | Some 12 million people have successfully claimed compensation for being mis-sold PPI. They should have been repaid premiums in full, as well as interest of 8% a year to cover the lost spending power had they kept the money. |
'Three-year battle' | |
Eddie Harrison, from Glasgow, was a freelancer and so did not need the insurance, but was told he could not have had a credit card without it. | |
He said his pursuit of compensation took three years. | |
"The first offer that they gave me was £2.86, but the actual amount that they ended up paying me was a four-figure sum," he said. | "The first offer that they gave me was £2.86, but the actual amount that they ended up paying me was a four-figure sum," he said. |
"I had an account with this bank from when I was a little kid. | |
"I had my home insurance with them. I had my mortgage with them. I had pretty much everything with them. | |
"Obviously I don't have that anymore because there is a distrust between me and the bank I was with." | |
He said that only after writing letters, making phone calls and taking his case to the financial ombudsman did he finally have a satisfactory result. | He said that only after writing letters, making phone calls and taking his case to the financial ombudsman did he finally have a satisfactory result. |
"At the end of the day, there were thousands of pounds that were wrongly taken from my account that were eventually put back in again. | |
"I will never know if it was the full amount, but it was thousands of pounds that belonged to me that were returned under duress, so I would do it all again and certainly recommend to anyone else to do it," he said. | |
How to make a claim | How to make a claim |
More information on PPI and how you can claim is available on the FCA website. | More information on PPI and how you can claim is available on the FCA website. |
Various templates are also available to download, along with guidance on claiming, on websites such as Which?, MoneySavingExpert, and Resolver. | Various templates are also available to download, along with guidance on claiming, on websites such as Which?, MoneySavingExpert, and Resolver. |
Cliff D'Arcy worked in a bank's PPI department for 11 years and said that sales were incredibly lucrative for the industry. | |
Now, as a freelance financial journalist, he believes that there has been a degree of underestimation in the figures and that many fair claims for compensation were dismissed. | |
The regulator, the FCA, said that many people may still be unaware that they ever had PPI and anyone who had a loan should check any paperwork they still had. | |
Many banks no longer have paperwork for loans and cards from that time. A dedicated call centre will be set up as part of the FCA's multi-million pound campaign unveiled later. | |
A spokeswoman for UK Finance, which represents the major banks, said: "We fully support the introduction of the FCA's PPI mis-selling deadline. | |
"The regulator's deadline for PPI complaints provides additional clarity for consumers, with the accompanying awareness campaign intended to prompt action and help ensure that customers who deserve compensation receive it." | |
Consumer groups, such as Which?, say that now a deadline has been set, banks should do more to make it easier for people to make a claim, which can be done for free. | Consumer groups, such as Which?, say that now a deadline has been set, banks should do more to make it easier for people to make a claim, which can be done for free. |
These groups are concerned that consumers will go to claims management companies - businesses that offer to do the paperwork but take a cut of up to a third of any payout. | These groups are concerned that consumers will go to claims management companies - businesses that offer to do the paperwork but take a cut of up to a third of any payout. |
Resolver, a website that offers free advice to consumers on how to complain, said that more than 80% of the PPI complaints made to the financial ombudsman last year were made by claims managers, and that there are 1,388 claims managers registered in the UK. | Resolver, a website that offers free advice to consumers on how to complain, said that more than 80% of the PPI complaints made to the financial ombudsman last year were made by claims managers, and that there are 1,388 claims managers registered in the UK. |
More 'nuisance' texts | More 'nuisance' texts |
It is likely that the two-year deadline will lead to a wave of text messages and calls from firms selling leads to these companies. | It is likely that the two-year deadline will lead to a wave of text messages and calls from firms selling leads to these companies. |
But Nick Baxter, chairman of the Professional Financial Claims Association, the trade body for claims companies, said its members kept to a code of conduct which controlled the amount of time people could be contacted after ticking a box to accept marketing calls. | But Nick Baxter, chairman of the Professional Financial Claims Association, the trade body for claims companies, said its members kept to a code of conduct which controlled the amount of time people could be contacted after ticking a box to accept marketing calls. |
He added that their fees were transparent and justified and that many people would not have received a payout at all, had they not used these services. | He added that their fees were transparent and justified and that many people would not have received a payout at all, had they not used these services. |
These companies, consumer groups, and the regulator are also raising awareness of a Supreme Court case, known as the Plevin case, which means 2.4 million rejected compensation claims may now be able to make a fresh appeal. | These companies, consumer groups, and the regulator are also raising awareness of a Supreme Court case, known as the Plevin case, which means 2.4 million rejected compensation claims may now be able to make a fresh appeal. |
The ruling dealt with the case of a financial company's client not being made aware of a commission being paid when they were sold PPI. | The ruling dealt with the case of a financial company's client not being made aware of a commission being paid when they were sold PPI. |
The court agreed that the company's failure to tell its client that it was receiving a large commission for the sale was unfair. Now the FCA has ruled that banks should have declared its commission if it was over 50%. | The court agreed that the company's failure to tell its client that it was receiving a large commission for the sale was unfair. Now the FCA has ruled that banks should have declared its commission if it was over 50%. |
If they did not declare it, then the customer is entitled to the return of any commission over 50%, plus interest, even if the PPI was not mis-sold. | If they did not declare it, then the customer is entitled to the return of any commission over 50%, plus interest, even if the PPI was not mis-sold. |