It has recently emerged that banks and insurance companies could be liable to pay over 4bn to customers who were fooled into paying for Payment Protection Insurance on a loan, mortgage or credit. A previous estimate of up to 1.2bn only covered customers who will attempt to reclaim the payments they have made but this new figure takes into consideration the extra amount of customers who the banks will be forced to give refunds to.

A huge number of overpriced policies were sold to customers who had no hope of claiming if they needed to. Policies were sold to pensioners, the self-employed and those with long term medical conditions who, by definition, were ineligible for cover.

An estimate by the Financial Service Authority shows insurance brokers may have to pay up to 450m and the rest being paid by a range of PPI providers such as banks. The typical amount refundable to people who purchased individual policies is 2000 which has caused many consumers to enquire.

A variety of high street banks have already been slapped with fines from the FSA as they attempt to make examples as well as forcing them to offer refunds to all of the qualified customers. High street insurance broker ‘The Swinton Group’ have been fined 770,000 for severe failings and were made to offer a refund to over 350,000 customers while banking giants Alliance & Leicester have been fined 7m.

Financial giants are strongly opposing the plans to regulate and control the future sale of policies. The FSA aims to stop companies putting pressure on customers to buy ineffective policies. Adam Phillips of the Financial Services Consumer Panel, says “for too long banks have regarded PPI as an easy product to sell and make money without considering whether it is really right for the customer

If you think you are entitled to a PPI claim, then visit Dons LLP for the best PPI claims lawyers.