Post Office scandal compensation shake-up and new redress body revealed

Post Office IT ungraded compensation schemes are to beryllium improved and victims' ineligible proposal to beryllium funded , according to the authorities which whitethorn make an autarkic assemblage to grip akin miscarriages of justness successful future.

The announcements were made arsenic portion of the authoritative effect to the damning conclusions of the archetypal measurement of the Horizon inquiry's findings, released successful July.

It focused connected the "disastrous" quality interaction of mendacious theft and mendacious accounting accusations made against astatine slightest 1,000 postmasters arsenic a effect of the faulty IT accounting strategy utilized by the Post Office.

The retired justice who chaired the two-year inquiry, Sir Wyn Williams, made 19 recommendations.

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The authorities said connected Thursday that lone 1 would not beryllium taken up.

Its pledges included backing of ineligible proposal for postmasters, redress for adjacent household members - a measurement that had been antecedently announced - and a caller appeals process, with funded ineligible advice, for those who person accepted Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) fixed sum offers.

HSS, which has been tally by Post Office and taxable to wide complaints relating to undervaluation of claims, covers compensation for those postmasters who were not wrongly convicted of immoderate transgression but mislaid wealth owed to the IT shortcomings covered up.

Those who use tin take betwixt a £75,000 fixed sum connection oregon a afloat appraisal of their lawsuit if they judge they are entitled to a higher amount.

That scheme's closure to caller applicants - recommended nether efforts to bolster the independency of its offers - volition beryllium enacted astatine the extremity of January adjacent twelvemonth alternatively than successful November.

It was further announced that Sir Gary Hickinbottom had been appointed arsenic the elder lawyer to oversee the HSS.

Post Office chair, Nigel Railton, said: "We person been moving intimately with the Department for Business and Trade to respond to the recommendations successful Volume 1 of Sir Wyn Williams’ Inquiry study and to velocity up redress payments to those who person been impacted by this atrocious scandal.

"I americium pleased that we person made progress, with implicit £1.2bn present paid to 9,100 radical crossed each schemes. But determination is inactive much enactment to do.

"We judge the proposal that a day should beryllium acceptable for the Horizon Shortfall Scheme to close. We person present agreed with the Department for Business and Trade that 31 January 2026 should beryllium the deadline for accepting caller applications into the Horizon Shortfall Scheme. We person chosen this date, which is aboriginal than the 1 projected by Sir Wyn Williams, to springiness imaginable applicants much clip to see and taxable their applications aft the Christmas highest period, which is peculiarly engaged for existent postmasters.

"I promote immoderate existent oregon erstwhile postmaster who thinks they mightiness beryllium eligible for the Horizon Shortfall Scheme to get successful interaction up of the closure date. We person a dedicated claimant enactment squad disposable connected the telephone to sermon your options, supply support, and reply immoderate questions truthful we tin statesman to process your assertion close away."

The authorities said that a "clear definition" of what constitutes "full and just redress" volition besides beryllium published to supply greater clarity for claimants and their representatives who person agelong complained astir their treatment.

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Work has besides commenced connected a restorative justness task for postmasters and their families successful concern with Post Office and Fujitsu, the institution liable for the Horizon system.

Sir Wyn's proposal to adjacent a HSS quality solution process was not accepted but the authorities did accidental it was present examining the instauration of an autarkic assemblage to oversee the redress process successful the lawsuit of a akin ungraded successful future.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle said: "We indispensable ne'er suffer show of the wronged postmasters affected by the Horizon Scandal, which the Inquiry has highlighted truthful well.

"There is intelligibly much to bash to bring justness to those affected. The recommendations we are accepting contiguous volition beryllium a important measurement towards this."