LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- (Marketwire) -- 02/08/13 -- All major UK banks are required to set aside money in order to finance 2013 mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) claims. Beginning in July 2012, all banks had to be financially prepared to pay back mis-sold PPI. Now, all UK banks have collectively set aside more than GBP 10 billion.

Lloyds Bank has set aside the largest sum of money in order to finance PPI claims refunds. Lloyds Bank has set aside more than GBP 3.6 billion to finance mis-sold PPI refunds. Halifax Bank has set aside GBP 3.2 billion, and Barclays has set aside GBP 1 billion. While these three UK banks have set aside the most, HSBC, RBS and Santander have also set aside millions of pounds in order to pay PPI refunds.

All UK banks were required to set aside these large sums, as the average PPI victim can expect to receive a GBP 3,000 PPI refund. The largest PPI claims refund received to date was GBP 52,851.

The gravity of the PPI scandal came to light in 1992. During this trial in Bristol, it was discovered that the average cost for PPI on a monthly credit card bill of GBP 5,000 was GBP 3,219. The cost of the PPI claims was as high as the total benefit.

Banks, credit card companies, mortgage companies, car financing companies and other lenders have been mis-selling PPI for the last 20 years. PPI has been sold at an exorbitant price, with companies receiving 89 percent profit. Ethical problems with PPI arose when untrained staff sold PPI without customers knowing they had purchased it, or without letting customers know the full extent of the PPI terms, in order to maximize their commission. Shockingly, PPI and the mis-selling of PPI have received more customer complaints than any other product has ever received.

Banks are still releasing hidden PPI from up to six years ago. Individuals who have been paying a loan or mortgage during the last six years are still learning that they have been paying unnecessarily high prices for a product that doesn't benefit them. These individuals are eligible to file a mis-sold PPI claim - more information is available at http://www.ppireclaimco.co.uk/.

While PPI was supposed to be sold as an option to borrowing customers in case they were faced with death, unemployment, or disability, it has since been highlighted that the product was sold only at lenders' advantage.

ABOUT PPI CLAIMS COMPANY

The PPI Claims Company is a website dedicated to helping victims of mis-sold PPI. The website includes recent PPI news, as well as information regarding PPI claims, PPI reclaims, loan charges and credit card charges. The PPI Claims Company understands that being a victim of mis-sold PPI is frustrating and that filing a claim can be confusing, so all articles are informative and easy to understand. For more information, visit ppireclaimco.co.uk.