Santander extends PPI deadline after tech issues – here's how to claim

The official PPI deadline was 11.59pm on 29 August, but several banks struggled with high volumes of PPI claims in the run-up to the cut-off, with customers reporting website glitches and long waits on phone lines. Santander was particularly badly hit, with its online form unavailable on Thursday morning and customers reporting call times of more than 90 minutes.

And Santander now says you have until 8pm tonight to file a claim – even if you don't have any evidence that you were affected by the problems yesterday. You can go direct via its claim form or call its helpline on 0800 171 2171.

Meanwhile, the financial regulator's said that all banks must take a "pragmatic approach" where customers had problems filing claims – which means if you weren't able to get your complaint in before the deadline due to problems with your bank's website or phone line, your complaint may still be considered if you get it in ASAP. Make sure you include any evidence you have of the problems you encountered, such as screenshots or emails sent.

A small handful of people might also be able to submit a claim if there were other exceptional circumstances which stopped them from meeting the deadline – see our PPI: can I still reclaim? guide for full info.

What do the other banks say?

Santander wasn't the only bank to struggle with online forms or phone wait times yesterday – customers reported similar issues for Barclays, Co-op Bank, NatWest and RBS – though it is the only bank to have announced an extension of the deadline.

We asked the other affected banks if there would be any flexibility for customers who missed the deadline after struggling to make claims yesterday – here's what they told us:

• Barclays says it accepted claims up to the deadline, as well as claims from people who were in phone queues at the time of the deadline. It says it will follow guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on any exceptions to the deadline – so if you struggled to make a claim yesterday, it's worth contacting it with evidence of any problems you encountered.

• The Co-op Bank says if you struggled to make a claim yesterday due to tech issues, you can ask it to review your case to see if you can submit a late claim due to "exceptional circumstances".

  To be considered for exceptional circumstances, you can call 03457 212 212 and follow the automated option, or use its online form. You'll need to provide details of the exceptional circumstances, so include any evidence that you tried to make a claim before the deadline. The bank will consider claims on a case-by-case basis.

• NatWest and RBS, which are part of the same banking group, say that customers who missed the deadline due to tech issues can get in touch using their "exceptional circumstances" process.

  You can use the online forms for NatWest and RBS, and each case will be considered on an individual basis.

While the banks above have confirmed they experienced tech problems or long wait times in the lead-up to the deadline, of course some may have experienced difficulties submitting claims to other banks too.

If this applies to you, it's still worth getting in touch with your bank as soon as you can and asking for your case to be considered as an exceptional circumstance. The Bank of Scotland, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds and Nationwide have told us any late claims submitted as exceptional circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and while we haven't had confirmation from others, it's likely they'll follow a similar policy.

If you try to claim as an exceptional circumstance and your case is rejected, you can then choose to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

'Urgently take advantage of this last-minute reprieve'

Guy Anker, deputy editor of MoneySavingExpert.com, said: "While it's good Santander has extended its deadline for PPI claims, you need to urgently take advantage of this last-minute reprieve. You don't need to provide evidence that you were hampered by yesterday's issues and you only need to provide basic information to start a claim with Santander.

"We know other banks had problems over the last couple of days and people said it took them a long time to make claims. If anyone has missed the deadline because of something that was the bank's fault, we would expect any bank to show sympathy and let them put the complaint in. But you must do this urgently, and to be safe you should submit evidence to prove you tried – as we suggested yesterday."