Post Office Horizon scandal victims and campaigners have warned that the compensation process is still falling short, with some victims yet to receive what they consider full and fair payouts, despite government claims that Group Litigation Order (GLO) compensation scheme is largely complete.
Former South Tyneside sub-postmaster Christopher Head, who was wrongly accused of stealing more than £80,000, said it was wrong for the government to declare the scheme a success when some claimants remain dissatisfied or are still waiting for what they consider full and fair settlements.
He warned that some victims may have accepted offers simply to bring a prolonged and stressful process to an end.
"They are marking their own homework, the department class full and fair redress being paid when someone accepts an offer - but there might be various reasons why someone might accept an offer," BBC quoted Head as saying.
"We have seen deliveries that are above what people have claimed, but there are other people I know who have said 'I've had enough, I've literally had enough' - the scheme might have been completed, rather than successful."
The compensation schemes relate to the Horizon IT scandal, in which faulty accounting software developed by Fujitsu led to hundreds of sub-postmasters being wrongly accused, prosecuted and, in many cases, convicted between 1999 and 2015.
Earlier this week, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has confirmed that the Group Litigation Order (GLO) compensation scheme will close to new applicants on 31 July, with a target to conclude payouts by the end of the year.
The department said around 90 per cent of claimants have now received compensation, with £223 million paid out under the scheme and more than £1.5 billion distributed across all redress programmes.
“The postmasters in the GLO group were the first to lead the charge for justice, and they deserve to see this chapter closed with the full and fair redress they are owed,” Post Office minister Blair McDougall said.
“Setting these deadlines is about making sure that happens. We are 90% of the way there, and I am determined that the remaining claims are resolved quickly and fairly, with proper support for anyone who needs it.”
At the same time, attention is turning to a separate but related scandal involving the earlier Capture accounting system.
In a significant development, the Court of Appeal has rejected the Post Office’s request for a two-month extension to respond to an appeal from former sub-postmaster Steve Marston, who was convicted in 1997 after an alleged £80,000 shortfall.
The ruling has been welcomed by campaigners seeking faster progress in overturning wrongful convictions. Marston said he was “over the moon” with the decision, adding that affected individuals had already waited decades for justice and were eager to bring the episode to a close.