Thousands make PPI complaints
The Financial Ombudsman Service is receiving more than 1,000 complaints over mis-sold claims about payment protection insurance.
The ombudsman said many customers who were unhappy with how they had been sold the product had turned to them for help having been rejected by their banks.
It said it expected complaints to far exceed its predicted figure of 46,000 this year.
Banks and other PPI providers have been repeatedly criticised by the body for failing to handle complaints properly.
The service is currently upholding between eight and nine out of every 10 complaints it receives about PPI, which is the single most complained-about product.
It is also typically calling on firms to pay consumers compensation in the low-thousands of pounds, although in some case the figure has been as high as £25,000.
But it is thought that tens of thousands of people who could be entitled to compensation may be missing out because they fail to pursue their claim through the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Figures from City watchdog the Financial Services Authority show that firms received around 260,000 complaints from consumers relating to PPI during 2009, but only 41,000 of these were referred to the ombudsman.