Skip to content | Skip to footer
 

Citizens Advice response to PPI High Court Ruling

20 April 2011

Citizens Advice Director of Public Policy Teresa Perchard said:

“Widespread mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) has been causing harm to consumers for many years and was the subject of our super complaint to the Office of Fair Trading back in 2005* which triggered the original investigation. Evidence from our CAB network has consistently shown that too often consumers had been mis-sold PPI policies that were far too expensive and completely unsuitable for their needs, often contributing to debt problems.

“Today’s ruling really is very significant and should mark the beginning of the end of the PPI scandal. The FSA have made it clear that they expect firms to give proper redress to consumers who have been treated unfairly and the court has upheld the regulator's power to do so. The banks have been dragging their feet over dealing properly with PPI complaints for too long and we hope that this will now change.

“People who believe they have been mis-sold a PPI policy should continue to complain to the firm as before. Firms may still tell people that their complaints have been put on hold, pending any appeal. But people who are told this can take their complaint to the Financial Ombudsman.”

*In September 2005 Citizens Advice made a ‘super complaint’ to the Office of Fair Trading, calling on them to launch an investigation into the payment protection insurance (PPI) business, which at that time had an estimated 20 million policies in force and produced annual revenue in excess of £5 billion. Protection racket – CAB evidence on the cost and effectiveness of payment protection insurance, the report on which the super complaint was based, is available on the Citizens Advice website:

Citizens Advice

Notes to editors

  1. The Citizens Advice service comprises a network of local bureaux, all of which are independent charities, and national charity Citizens Advice. Together we help people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. For more information in England and Wales see www.citizensadvice.org.uk
  2. The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free, independent, confidential, and impartial, and available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality. For online advice and information see www.adviceguide.org.uk
  3. Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales advised 2.1 million clients on 6.9 million problems from April 2011 to March 2012. For full 2011/2012 service statistics see our quarterly publication Advice trends
  4. Out of 22 national charities, the Citizens Advice service is ranked by the general public as being the most helpful, approachable, professional, informative, effective / cost effective, reputable and accountable (nfpSynergy’s Brand Attributes survey, May 2010).
  5. Most Citizens Advice service staff are trained volunteers, working at around 3,500 service outlets across England and Wales.