Simon English: Bogus PPI claims are making things worse

Outlook Bleep. That's a text from your friendly neighbourhood ambulance chaser. It thinks you could be owed money for a personal protection insurance product you bought from your bank. Actually, you might not have bought one at all, but why not chance your arm? S'not a crime, is it?

There's no real reason to feel sorry for Lloyds and the others caught up in all of this. they did bring it on themselves and the punishment may even persuade them to behave better in the future.

But there's no question that some businesses being whacked by the PPI scandal are unfairly on the end of claims from punters and lawyers trying it on.

Chris Pilling, of Yorkshire Building Society, says the claims management firms are "a disgrace" that are hurting businesses and "assaulting" the public.

Although the Yorkshire has a minimal amount of exposure to the PPI mis-selling crisis, he says the society is still being deluged with claims it is obliged to process. The Yorkshire, like all banks or building societies, has to pay the Ombudsman £850 to look at each claim it receives even if it is sure no compensation is due.

Plainly, better regulation of the claims industry is needed.