Bank to make ‘early settlement’ offers before outcome of legal battle, with those who accept likely to get money before Christmas

Barclays will this month start offering compensation to tens of thousands of people who claim they were mis-sold car loans, with some of those who accept likely to see the money land in their account before Christmas.

Amid an ongoing legal battle over an industry-wide compensation scheme for victims of the UK’s car finance scandal, Barclays has become the first big UK lender to break cover and begin offering payouts to some customers who have complained.