New compensation scheme for Post Office victims is 'half-baked', Sir Alan Bates warns

Sir Alan Bates has told Sky News that the government's caller Capture Redress Scheme is "half-baked".

The Post Office scandal campaigner, who whitethorn besides beryllium a unfortunate of Capture, accused officials of not learning lessons from erstwhile compensation failures.

Capture was a portion of faulty machine bundle utilized successful astir 2,500 branches betwixt 1992 and 1999 earlier the infamous Horizon scandal.

Many sub-postmasters made up perchance mendacious accounting shortfalls from their ain pocket, with dozens, astatine least, convicted of stealing.

Sir Alan welcomed the motorboat of the archetypal ever Capture Redress Scheme past week "in general".

However, helium added: "It does look to person gone disconnected half-baked with astir nary of the lessons that should person been learnt from the failures of the different Postmaster Schemes having been applied erstwhile compiling it."

Sir Alan Bates, who has settled his redress assertion with the authorities successful transportation with Horizon, besides confirmed helium whitethorn person been a unfortunate of Capture.

He said: "I person documentation which shows that a PC moving Capture was portion of the inventory erstwhile we purchased our sub-post bureau and I cognize it was utilized until it was replaced by the infamous Horizon strategy toward the extremity of 2000."

Despite this, Sir Alan said that - with the accusation helium has astir the strategy and making a assertion - "it does look I whitethorn not beryllium capable taxable one".

Under the existent rules, it appears claimants indispensable taxable a afloat itemised assertion earlier the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) volition determine if they suffice - a process Sir Alan described arsenic "mad".

"We could walk a twelvemonth compiling a assertion lone for the DBT to accidental we weren't eligible successful the archetypal place."

He called for a two-stage process: archetypal to corroborate eligibility, past to let victims to physique their lawsuit with ineligible enactment - a exemplary helium says would prevention time, wealth and debar unnecessary ineligible costs.

The revelation that Sir Alan whitethorn person been a Capture unfortunate - and didn't realise until aboriginal connected - raises caller concerns astir however galore others stay unaware.

In a connection to Sky News, a authorities spokesperson said: "After implicit 2 decades of warring for justice, victims volition yet person redress for being impacted by the Capture bundle and we wage tribute to each of those who person worked to exposure this scandal.

"All eligible applicants volition person an interim outgo of £10,000. In exceptional circumstances, the autarkic sheet tin grant supra £300,000, which is not a cap.

"We person been successful interaction with Sir Alan's ineligible typical and basal acceptable to supply further accusation to assistance each claimants."

It comes arsenic documents seen by Sky News suggest that the Post Office knew astir faults successful Capture machine bundle earlier it was rolled retired successful 1992.

Notes from a gathering of "the Capture steering group" held successful February - months earlier the strategy was introduced to branches - described files arsenic being "corrupted".

It highlighted that: "If the powerfulness was switched disconnected erstwhile a record was unfastened it would beryllium corrupted. In this concern information should beryllium checked and reinput."

Another responsibility mentioned successful the gathering notes was if "part of the strategy was closed early, to nutrient lawsuit summaries immoderate further transactions mightiness not beryllium captured for that day".

"If a precocious mistake complaint was detected the bundle would request to beryllium reworked."

A papers called "Capture Troubleshooting Guide" from April 1993 - implicit a twelvemonth aft the steering radical noted faults - again described "corrupt data" specified arsenic incorrect transaction values.

It concluded that the "cause" of this was "switching disconnected the machine oregon a powerfulness chopped (even if lone for a fewer seconds) whilst successful the Capture programme".

It besides enactment guardant instructions to remedy the fault.

Rupert Lloyd-Thomas, campaigner for Capture victims, said: "The Post Office knew ... successful 1992, agelong earlier the launch, that Capture could beryllium zapped by a powerfulness cut.

"They did thing astir it."

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Steve Marston, who was convicted of stealing from his Post Office subdivision successful 1998 aft utilizing Capture, said the accusation "didn't travel arsenic immoderate surprise".

"They've known since the precise opening it should ne'er person been released," helium added.

A Post Office spokesperson said: "We person been precise acrophobic astir the reported problems relating to the usage of the Capture bundle and are sincerely atrocious for past failings that person caused suffering to postmasters.

"In September 2024, Kroll published an autarkic study which examined the Capture bundle that was utilized successful immoderate Post Office branches successful the 1990s and we afloat co-operated with Kroll passim their investigation.

"We are determined that past wrongs are enactment close and are continuing to enactment the government's enactment successful this area.

"Post Office has precise constricted records relating to this strategy and we promote anyone who has Capture related worldly to stock it with Post Office and the Criminal Cases Review Commission."