The Farepak collapse caused distress for families

For every �100 saved with the club, liquidators expect that just �5 will be handed back.

Some 1,500 customers in NI were almost �500,000 out of pocket when the company collapsed last October.

No money will be returned before Christmas. The Consumer Council wants new laws to protect people's money.

Carol Edwards of the Consumer Council said: "One year on from the Farepak collapse, local savers are still waiting for justice.

"Farepak customers did everything right and a terrible wrong has been done on them.

"The reality is that the law provides next to no protection for their hard-saved money. "

She said the council had worked with Farepak savers, MLAs and Westminster politicians to try to prevent "a similar consumer injustice from happening again".

Customers of Farepak, owned by European Home Retail (EHR), paid money monthly to the company as a practical way to put cash aside for Christmas - receiving hampers and vouchers to use in shops.

In total, about �40m was lost when the savings club went into administration in October 2006.

The liquidators said it was "early days" in clawing back assets.