Borrowers in the UK are paying over the odds for payment protection insurance (PPI), according to the initial assessment of the Competition Commission (CC).

PPI covers repayments when an individual is facing debt problems and is unable to do so themselves but providers are currently overcharging by close to £1.4 billion, the commission has warned.

The issue is that consumers are not being made aware that PPI can be bought from a variety of providers and are instead taking up the option offered by their lender – in many cases at a dramatically increased cost.

"We’ve found serious problems with the PPI market and customers are paying for the lack of competition," said the CC’s deputy chairman Peter Davis.

Earlier this week, a report from MoneyExpert suggested that an increasing number of British consumers with debt management and money problems are concerned about their ability to pay off their arrears.