Case Study: Financial Ombudsman Service manages millions of PPI claims with PA Consulting

Setting up a brand-new business unit to manage millions of PPI mis-selling claims

The Financial Ombudsman Service faced an unprecedented surge in payment protection insurance (PPI) complaints after a 2011 high-court decision, with demand rising from around 1,000 cases a week to a peak of 15,000. To help manage the growing backlog and protect service levels, the organisation turned to PA Consulting for support in creating a brand-new PPI business unit.

PA Consulting designed and managed the full setup of the unit, including case-handling processes, decision support software, staffing, training, operating model design, and new office setup. Within six months, the unit was live with the first 100 staff in place, and PA Consulting continued to support the Financial Ombudsman Service by recruiting and training more than 2,000 staff over two years and helping prioritise cases fairly and quickly, enabling the organisation to handle the surge in demand.

Financial Ombudsman Service

Richard Thompson

Principal Ombudsman And Quality Director