Car finance claim checker: are you owed money?

What the FCA car finance redress scheme actually is

Between April 2007 and November 2024, many car finance agreements paid the dealer a commission that was never properly disclosed — in some arrangements the dealer could even increase your interest rate to increase their own commission. After the courts ruled on this, the FCA confirmed an industry-wide redress scheme in March 2026 (policy statement PS26/3): lenders must review in-scope agreements and pay compensation where commission arrangements were unfair. Around 12.1 million agreements qualify, sharing an estimated £7.5 billion — roughly £620 per agreement on average.

Why everything is paused right now

The scheme was partially suspended in July 2026 while a legal challenge is heard at the Upper Tribunal (hearings listed from December 2026). Lenders don’t currently have to calculate or pay redress — but the scheme itself stands unless the tribunal changes it, and the deadline for older agreements hasn’t moved: if your finance started before April 2014, complain to your lender by 31 August 2026 to be inside the scheme. Newer agreements should be contacted by lenders once the process resumes.

You do not need a claims company

Complaining is free: an email or letter to your lender naming yourself, the car and roughly when you took the finance is enough — the lender must then check its own commission records. The FCA has repeatedly warned that claims firms taking 18–30% of your payout add nothing to this process. We don’t handle these claims and take no fee; this page exists because most of our readers are exactly the motorists the scheme covers.

Sources: FCA PS26/3 · FCA consumer guidance · suspension statement (July 2026).