All reasonable legal fees will continue to be covered. Additionally, any postmaster who does not wish to accept this offer can, of course, choose to proceed with the existing process.
Postmasters who have already received initial compensation payments or have reached a settlement of less than £600,000 with the Post Office will be paid the difference.
Our objective is to ensure that as many postmasters involved as possible promptly receive this compensation offer. This will aid in bringing a resolution to the scandal. It is important to note that this offer also extends to any Postmasters who, in the future, successfully overturn their convictions based on Horizon evidence.
Post Office Minister Kevin Hollinrake emphasized, “Our aim is to right a wrong and provide relief to those unjustly impacted by this scandal. Too many postmasters have endured unnecessary suffering for far too long. The government is firmly committed to seeing this through until a resolution is achieved, and to ensuring that such an ordeal never recurs.”
In the late 1990s, the Post Office began installing the Horizon accounting software. Unfortunately, faults in the software led to discrepancies in the accounts of various branches.
The Post Office insisted that sub-postmasters rectify the shortfalls, resulting in wrongful prosecutions for false accounting or theft between 1999 and 2015.
These wrongful convictions have subjected postmasters to immense hardships, including tarnished criminal records, loss of freedom, and substantial financial losses.
The government has already established the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, granting it the necessary statutory powers to investigate the matter, establish the facts, and provide recommendations for the future.
To date, 86 convictions have been overturned, with postmasters receiving £21 million in compensation. In total, the Overturned Convictions process, Horizon Shortfall Scheme, and Group Litigation Order have disbursed over £120 million to 2,600 individuals affected by the Horizon scandal.
