Mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance
The PPI mis-selling saga was the biggest consumer finance scandal in UK history with a total compensation bill of more than £38bn.
But could many more people still be owed, even after the claims deadline?
The PPI mis-selling saga was the biggest consumer finance scandal in UK history with a total compensation bill of more than £38bn.
But could many more people still be owed, even after the claims deadline?
PPI was not in itself a bad product. Designed to cover essential payments such as mortgages and other financial credit when the policyholder could no longer afford them, it was the way these PPI policies were sold that caused millions to be complained about. Banks and providers would sell them to customers who did not want or need them, and in some cases without their knowledge.
The Fair Trade Practice became one of the UK’s leading Claims Management Companies on mis-sold PPI, carrying out more than 4.3m checks for our customers. We worked on a recommendation basis which saw satisfied customers refer us to their friends and family, and we never used the cold-calling tactics or high-profile media advertising campaigns used by some firms.
In August 2019, the industry regulator the Financial Conduct Authority decided to stop new PPI complaints. As such mis-selling cases can now only be made in very exceptional circumstances or through the courts. But there are two ways in which consumers may still be owed, and The Fair Trade Practice can help with both…
Undisclosed Commission Tax ReclaimEven after the FCA’s deadline on mis-sold PPI complaints, consumers might still be owed compensation due to Undisclosed Commission. This is where the majority of the premiums paid for the PPI policy did not go to upkeeping the insurance itself, but in fact went to the provider(s) as profit.
Research by the Financial Conduct Authority found that on average this commission made up 67% of PPI premiums, and following a landmark court case new rules came into force which entitled many more consumers to make a claim.
The statutory 8% interest that is added to successful claims for mis-sold PPI and mis-sold Packaged Bank Accounts is automatically taxed. But thanks to the Personal Savings Allowance, many do not need to pay this and can claim it back from HMRC. Don’t leave your claim too long though, as you can only claim within four years of receiving your offer.