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PPI and Plevin Claims Explained for UK Consumers

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  If you are researching Payment Protection Insurance compensation, you have probably seen references to both standard PPI claims and Plevin claims . While they are related, they are not the same. Understanding the difference is essential, especially if your original complaint was rejected or you believe you missed the 2019 deadline. This guide explains both routes clearly and outlines what may still be possible in 2025. What Was the Original PPI Scandal? Payment Protection Insurance was designed to help borrowers cover repayments if they became ill, unemployed, or unable to work. However, it was widely added to loans, credit cards, and mortgages without proper explanation or suitability checks . By 2019, banks had paid over £38 billion in compensation for mis-sold PPI . The Financial Conduct Authority introduced a deadline of 29 August 2019 for traditional mis-selling claims. Many consumers assumed that once this deadline passed, all PPI matters were closed. They were not....
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HSBC APP Scams: Common Tactics and Consumer Protection Guidance

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  Authorised push payment scams linked to HSBC usually do not involve a breach of the bank’s systems. Instead, they rely on impersonation to persuade customers to transfer money themselves This distinction matters. In APP fraud, the payment is “authorised” because the customer instructs it, but the customer has been misled about who they are paying and why Below is a structured overview of how these scams typically work and what consumer protections may apply. 1. What Is an HSBC APP Scam? An authorised push payment scam is where someone is tricked into sending money to a fraudster, usually by bank transfer In many HSBC-related cases, the scammer: Claims to be from HSBC’s fraud or security team Sends convincing texts or emails using bank-style branding Instructs the customer to move money to a “safe” account Because the customer initiates the transfer, the focus later often turns to the surrounding circumstances: what was said, what warnings appeared, and how the bank...
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Quilter’s £76 Million Compensation Provision: What Happened and Why It Matters

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  Quilter has announced it will set aside £76 million to compensate clients who did not receive the ongoing financial advice services they were promised. The provision follows an FCA-commissioned review of advisory firms and reflects a wider regulatory focus on whether firms are delivering the services clients pay for. This article breaks down what happened, what the FCA found, and why it matters for consumers and the industry. 1. What Triggered the Compensation Provision? The Financial Conduct Authority commissioned an independent skilled person to review 22 of the UK’s largest advisory firms. The review focused on a straightforward question: If clients were paying ongoing advice fees, were they actually receiving ongoing services such as annual financial reviews? Across the industry, approximately 98% of clients were found to have received the promised services. However, in around 2% of cases, clients did not receive the agreed reviews or advisory support. Following the ...
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What Historic Specialist Loans Tell Us About Affordability

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  When reviewing older secured loans issued by lenders such as Blemain Finance , later trading under the Together brand, one theme often emerges: affordability in specialist lending does not always look the same as affordability in high-street banking. Understanding that difference is key. 1. Specialist lending was built for non-standard borrowers Blemain Finance operated in what is often described as the specialist or non-conforming lending market. This included borrowers with: Complex income structures Previous credit issues Non-standard property types Unlike mainstream banks, specialist lenders may assess applications using a broader view of risk, sometimes placing greater emphasis on property value or overall borrower profile rather than rigid affordability algorithms. That flexibility can increase access to credit. But it also increases the importance of clear disclosure. 2. Secured lending changes the dynamic Many of these loans were secured against property....
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Car Finance After the Supreme Court Ruling: What Borrowers Should Know

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  The Supreme Court’s August 2025 judgment clarified how commission in motor finance agreements should be treated under the law. For borrowers, the outcome is more nuanced than many headlines suggested. 1. What the Supreme Court Decided The Court confirmed that a discretionary commission arrangement (DCA) does not automatically create an “unfair relationship” under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. It also made clear that dealers are commercial intermediaries, not fiduciaries, and that disclosure of the possibility of commission can defeat claims of secrecy. Importantly, unfairness now requires additional aggravating factors, such as very high commissions or inadequate disclosure. In practical terms, this narrowed certain court-based claims. 2. What Changed After the Judgment Shortly after the ruling, the Financial Conduct Authority announced plans for a consumer redress scheme targeting undisclosed or excessive commission. Consultation Paper CP25/27 proposes an industry-wide sche...
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What a past PPI rejection does and doesn’t rule out today

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  If your PPI complaint was rejected years ago, it is easy to assume the matter is closed permanently. In practice, a rejection answers one specific question: did the complaint meet the regulatory tests that applied at the time it was assessed? It does not automatically answer every possible question about fairness. What a past rejection does mean A rejection usually means: The firm applied FCA complaint-handling rules and concluded that the complaint did not meet the threshold for redress at that time  The complaint may have been considered out of time, particularly after the 29 August 2019 deadline  There may have been insufficient evidence about how the policy was sold  The firm concluded that mis-selling tests were not met under the rules then in force  In short, it reflects a regulatory judgment made within a defined framework. What a past rejection doesn’t necessarily rule out It does not automatically rule out: That the complaint was assessed under narr...
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MPs Slam FCA for “Siding with Lenders” : Here’s What It Means for You

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  For years, millions of UK motorists have unknowingly paid inflated interest rates on their car finance agreements. These inflated costs often stemmed from discretionary commission arrangements, where lenders paid dealers to increase a customer’s interest rate. Now, as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) moves to introduce a formal redress scheme, MPs are warning that the regulator may be prioritising lender profits rather than consumer justice. A new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Fair Banking has sharply criticised the FCA’s proposals, accusing the regulator of “nakedly taking the side of lenders.” According to MPs, the scheme in its current form risks under-compensating millions of affected drivers and undermining trust in the UK’s financial regulatory system. A Regulator Under Fire The APPG’s latest report is one of the strongest political challenges yet to the FCA’s proposed redress framework. According to MPs, the regulator appears to have been...
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