Banks have fought hard so they do not have to pay the customers claims made on the missold PPI policies.
Bank managers and loan officers sold such policies to consumers for over a decade. Often they sold these policies at an expensive premium to people who did not want them, to people who did not need them or to people who could not afford them. Consumer watchdogs have fought hard to get these banks to change these policies. If you have a loan, go check the documentation.
If you have a PPI policy, the bank may have ripped you off.
The recent court cases about these policies mean that the banks know their case is ultimately lost. The rulings against the bank’s unethical practices will likely not be overturned when the cases reach higher courts. Some banks, realizing that the courts are not likely to rule in their favour, have decided to get ahead of the case and take responsibility for their actions and contact people even if the person has made no claim about a missold PPI. Other banks will wait until they receive the claim to act upon it. If you are unsure if you can benefit from a claim, file one and find out. You do have to have taken out a loan with a PPI policy, however.