Horizon victims paid over £120m in compensation so far

The victims of the Horizon IT scandal have so far been paid £124.7 million in compensation as part of the Overturned Convictions and Horizon Shortfall Schemes, Post Office revealed on Friday.

The scandal, considered as ‘the UK’s most widespread miscarriage of justice’, has seen more than 700 sub-postmasters being prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 privately and publicly for theft, false accounting and/or fraud as a result of the flaws in the Horizon computer system used in post offices.

According to the latest compensation data for the year-end 2023, 25 individuals with overturned convictions have received full and final compensation.

The total of all compensation to date for people with overturned convictions (including interim, partial and final payments) is £30.9m.

In September, the UK government announced that anyone whose conviction was overturned as it was reliant on Horizon evidence has the option of settling their claim for an upfront sum of £600,000 without the need to bring a formal claim.

Offers have been made to all 2,417 current or former postmasters in the Horizon Shortfall Scheme. The Scheme remains open and this figure excludes late applications.

The total value of Horizon Shortfall Scheme offers made to date £107.93m. Post Office said the majority are agreed and £85.98m has been paid.

The number of eligible late applications that have been received is 328. There have been 228 settlement offers made to date and the total amount paid to late applicants is £5.80m.

Post Office chief executive Nick Read said he hopes that ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office, starting on 1 January, ‘encourages anyone affected who has not yet come forward to seek the redress and compensation they deserve’.

“Our efforts to rectify the wrongs of the past include paying full and fair compensation supported by our shareholder, the UK government,” Read said.

“To date, we have paid over £120 million in compensation. We hope that the ITV drama will raise further awareness and encourage anyone affected who has not yet come forward to seek the redress and compensation they deserve.”

Post Office has also urged anyone who believes they were wrongly convicted for any reason in a Post Office prosecution to consider an appeal.

The Post Office, and separately the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), have on multiple occasions tried to contact people who may be affected. There is free, independent, and confidential help advice available from the CCRC, and separately, Citizens Advice.