Latest news with #SirAlanBates
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Post Office Inquiry to deliver verdict on compensation for victims of one of UK's biggest scandals
The first report into the Post Office Horizon scandal is set to be published, delivering a verdict on the devastating impact on victims and their battle for compensation. Retired judge Sir Wyn Williams will deliver the first part of his findings over overseeing a five-year public inquiry into one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history. More than 900 subpostmasters were wrongfully prosecuted between 1999 and 2015, after being accused of theft, fraud, and false accounting. The fault, however, was with the Post Office's Horizon accounting software which was riddled with bugs and defects that made it appear – wrongly – that money had gone missing. Sir Wyn is set to deliver his findings from The Oval cricket ground on the impact of the scandal on thousands of victims, including 236 who spent time in prison. Some of the accused subpostmasters took their own lives. The retired judge's findings will also examine the compensation scheme for victims, which has come in for heavy criticism over the way it has operated, the money being offered, and the speed of coming to conclusions. Lead campaigner Sir Alan Bates has previously described the complex compensation scheme as akin to 'quasi-kangaroo courts'. Sir Wyn has devoted particular attention to the compensation for victims, and two years ago delivered interim suggestions on how the scheme could be improved. At the time, he described legislative changes made to resolve issues with the redress schemes as 'a patchwork quilt of compensation schemes… with some holes in it'. Tuesday's report is the first part of Sir Wyn's findings, to be followed later in the year or in 2026 with his assessment of the Horizon system itself, actions of senior figures within the Post Office and tech developer Fujitsu, and ultimately who can be held to blame. Sir Wyn will make a public statement following the report's publication at midday. In a previous statement addressing the compensation schemes, the Department for Business and Trade said: 'This Government has quadrupled the total amount paid to affected postmasters to provide them with full and fair redress, with more than £1 billion having now been paid to over 7,300 claimants.'
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Which are the subpostmaster redress schemes and what criticism have they faced?
A number of compensation schemes have been set up after subpostmasters had their lives destroyed by the Post Office Horizon scandal. Here, the PA news agency looks at the ways in which victims have been able to claim money and criticisms the various processes have faced: Group Litigation Order (GLO) Scheme – Who is eligible to apply for compensation under the scheme? The GLO scheme was set up for the 555 people who took the Post Office to the High Court in order for the financial settlement from their case to better reflect the effect it had on their lives. – Who was involved in the High Court case against the Post Office? Lead campaigner Sir Alan Bates was one of the 555 subpostmasters who alleged the Horizon system had been at fault for shortfalls in their accounts and was a key figure in bringing the case to court. – How many of the 555 claimants from the High Court are eligible for compensation under the scheme? A total of 492 subpostmasters are entitled to apply for redress under the GLO scheme, with the remaining 63 ineligible to use the scheme due to their wrongful criminal convictions. – How much money has been paid out by the Government under the GLO scheme? As of June 30 2025, a total of £177 million had been paid out to the GLO claimants, including interim payments. – How many of the claimants have accepted compensation offers from the Government? From the 452 offers made to GLO claimants, 336 have accepted their compensation offers and 334 claims have been paid. – What criticism has the GLO scheme faced? Sir Alan has previously described the scheme as a 'mess' and accused the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) of ignoring advice on how to streamline and speed up the process 'out of hand with the feeblest of excuses'. Overturned Convictions Scheme – Who is eligible to apply for redress under the scheme? Almost 1,000 subpostmasters were wrongfully convicted as part of the Horizon scandal and those who have since had their convictions quashed are able to apply to the scheme. – What were subpostmasters prosecuted for? A large proportion of wrongfully convicted subpostmasters were prosecuted by the Post Office for offences such as theft and false accounting after money went missing from their branch accounts. – Is the scheme still running? The scheme was closed by the Government last month in order to make way for the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme following new legislation which overturned all convictions related to the Horizon scandal. – How much money was paid out as part of the scheme? A total of £68 million was paid out to claimants, including interim payments. – How many claims were made under the scheme? According to Government data, 111 victims were eligible for redress under the scheme, with the Post Office fully settling 71 of the claims and paying a minimum of £200,000 as an interim payment to the remaining claimants. The remaining 40 claims are now being administered through the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme. Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme – What is the difference between the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme and the Overturned Convictions Scheme? Compensation administered through the Horizon Conviction Redress Scheme is paid out by the Government rather than the Post Office and comes following the blanket overturning of convictions related to the Horizon system. – What money is on offer for those who have had their convictions overturned? Victims eligible for the scheme are able to either accept a fixed sum of £600,000 or submit a more detailed individual claim. All applicants are eligible for a £200,000 interim payment. – How much money has been paid out under the scheme? As of June 30 2025, a total of £252 million has been paid out under the scheme, including interim payments. – How many claims have been settled as part of the scheme? From the 416 final claims made, a total of 401 have been accepted and 397 have been paid. – What criticisms has the scheme received? Many subpostmasters have criticised the way in which the detailed individual claims are held as those who choose that method are no longer entitled to the fixed £600,000 sum and potentially face receiving less money. Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) – Who is eligible to apply for the HSS? The HSS scheme was set up for those who experienced shortfalls in their accounts due to the Horizon system but were not wrongfully convicted or part of the 555 who took the Post Office to the High Court. – What are the claimants entitled to? In March 2024, HSS claimants were made eligible for a £75,000 interim payment. – What criticisms has the scheme received? Many claimants have said they were forced to accept low offers without legal advice. – Who administers the compensation? The initial claims are paid out by the Post Office but appeals are dealt with by DBT. – Were those who were eligible for the £75,000 fixed sum able to claim more money? HSS claimants are able to send their claim to an independent appeals system called Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals. – How much has been paid out as part of the scheme? As of June 30 2025, a total of £601 million has been paid to claimants, including interim payments. – How many claims have been settled as part of the scheme? A total of 7,750 claims have been made as part of the scheme, with 5,160 offers made, 4,774 offers accepted by claimants and 4,732 paid in full.
Telegraph
08-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Post Office compensation handouts slump despite ‘catastrophic' backlog
Compensation payouts for victims of the Post Office scandal have slumped to their lowest monthly total this year despite a backlog of thousands of claimants. More than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Fujitsu Horizon software incorrectly recorded shortfalls on their branch accounts. Several schemes have been set up to financially redress the victims of the scandal – some of whom were jailed for thefts and false accounting offences they did not commit. However, the schemes – of which all but one are now administered by the Government – have been criticised by former sub-postmasters, including campaigner Sir Alan Bates. The figures come ahead of the publication of the first part of a report by the chairman of a public inquiry investigating the Horizon scandal. Sir Wyn Williams is expected to focus on how effective the compensation schemes have been, as well as the human impact of the scandal. He will then give findings on other issues, such as governance at both Fujitsu and the Post Office, in the coming months. However, Telegraph analysis has found that just 514 payouts were awarded to applicants between June 2 and June 30. This was significantly lower than the previous month – a 16 per cent drop from 612 – and the lowest total recorded so far this year, during which an average of 685 claimants have received compensation each month. The Government statistics also show there are currently 2,590 eligible claimants awaiting financial redress. Process 'catastrophically poor' Chris Head, one of many sub-postmasters who has rejected offers owing to the size of the sums put forward, said the latest figures show the schemes had been 'catastrophically poor'. Speaking to The Telegraph on Monday evening, Mr Head, 37, added: 'It's completely unacceptable that people have had to wait so long for redress.' Mr Head, who was falsely accused of stealing more than £80,000 in 2006 before his criminal case was dropped, says he has so far been offered just 36 per cent of what he believes he is entitled to. 'I've always said there are two things that need to be tackled – accountability and redress – and the former will take longer because the wheels of justice take some time,' he added. 'This is something that just needs to be addressed at a faster rate.' Those unhappy with their offers can have their cases reviewed by an independent panel of experts. At least 350 Horizon victims have reportedly already died before receiving their final compensation payouts. A government spokesman said: 'We are grateful for the inquiry's work, which has revealed the immeasurable suffering that victims of the scandal have endured. 'This Government has quadrupled the total amount paid to affected postmasters to provide them with full and fair redress, with more than £1 billion having now been paid to over 7,900 claimants.'
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
First tranche of final report from Horizon scandal inquiry to be published
The first tranche of the long-awaited final report from an inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal is set to be published. More than 900 subpostmasters were wrongfully prosecuted by the Post Office between 1999 and 2015 in what has been dubbed as the worst miscarriage of justice in British legal history. Many were wrongly convicted of crimes such as theft and false accounting after faulty Horizon software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts. Subpostmasters' lives were destroyed – with some bankrupted by legal action and sent to prison. On Tuesday, the first volume of the Horizon IT inquiry's final report will be published – covering the devastating impact on the lives of the scandal's victims and the compensation process. The issue of financial redress has frequently been flagged as an issue by subpostmasters – with many still awaiting full compensation. The various compensation schemes have been criticised by victims as unfair and difficult to navigate – processes which lead campaigner Sir Alan Bates has previously described as 'quasi-kangaroo courts'. Retired judge Sir Wyn Williams, the chairman of the probe, will make a public statement following the report's publication. The inquiry was established in 2020, with a number of witnesses giving evidence on the use of Fujitsu's Horizon system, Post Office governance and the legal action taken against subpostmasters. In a previous statement addressing the compensation schemes, the Department for Business and Trade said: 'This Government has quadrupled the total amount paid to affected postmasters to provide them with full and fair redress, with more than £1 billion having now been paid to over 7,300 claimants.'
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
First tranche of final report from Horizon scandal inquiry to be published
The first tranche of the long-awaited final report from an inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal is set to be published. More than 900 subpostmasters were wrongfully prosecuted by the Post Office between 1999 and 2015 in what has been dubbed as the worst miscarriage of justice in British legal history. Many were wrongly convicted of crimes such as theft and false accounting after faulty Horizon software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts. Subpostmasters' lives were destroyed – with some bankrupted by legal action and sent to prison. On Tuesday, the first volume of the Horizon IT inquiry's final report will be published – covering the devastating impact on the lives of the scandal's victims and the compensation process. The issue of financial redress has frequently been flagged as an issue by subpostmasters – with many still awaiting full compensation. The various compensation schemes have been criticised by victims as unfair and difficult to navigate – processes which lead campaigner Sir Alan Bates has previously described as 'quasi-kangaroo courts'. Retired judge Sir Wyn Williams, the chairman of the probe, will make a public statement following the report's publication. The inquiry was established in 2020, with a number of witnesses giving evidence on the use of Fujitsu's Horizon system, Post Office governance and the legal action taken against subpostmasters. In a previous statement addressing the compensation schemes, the Department for Business and Trade said: 'This Government has quadrupled the total amount paid to affected postmasters to provide them with full and fair redress, with more than £1 billion having now been paid to over 7,300 claimants.'
