Current and former postmasters have just one month left to apply for the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, with the deadline set for 11:59pm on 31 January 2026.
The reminder comes exactly two years after ITV’s Mr Bates v The Post Office aired on New Year’s Day 2024, helping to reignite public scrutiny of the Horizon IT Scandal, considered as one of the widest miscarriages of justice in the UK.
As of 28 November 2025, £769 million has been paid out through the Horizon Shortfall Scheme alone, while total financial redress across all schemes has reached £1.326billion, benefiting more than 10,000 people.
Post Office said it is stepping up awareness of the closure date to ensure as many eligible postmasters as possible receive compensation. In recent months it has contacted potential applicants directly and placed adverts in national newspapers and on social media.
Neil Brocklehurst, chief executive of Post Office, said: “I want everyone affected by the Horizon IT Scandal who is eligible for financial redress to receive it as soon as possible. There is just one month left to apply to the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, so please don’t wait.”
He added that support is available through the claimant support team and representative bodies including the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters, Voice of the Postmaster and the Communication Workers Union.
Post Office minister Blair McDougall said securing fair and timely redress remained a priority, urging anyone who believes they may be eligible to come forward before the scheme closes.
“It is my priority that postmasters receive fair redress as quickly as possible in recognition of the hurt that so many of them and their families suffered. The Horizon Shortfall Scheme has been central to this effort, paying out over £700 million to more than 6,000 people affected,” McDougall said.
“I encourage anyone who thinks they might be eligible for the scheme to come forward before it closes, and we will continue working to ensure all those affected receive the justice they deserve.”
Applicants can choose between a £75,000 fixed-sum offer or a full assessment if they believe they are entitled to more. Applications can also be made on behalf of people who are ill, unable to apply themselves, or who have died, subject to certain criteria.
The Horizon Shortfall Scheme is one of four main redress schemes linked to the scandal, alongside schemes covering group litigation claimants, overturned convictions and losses linked to the earlier Capture software. The separate Suspension Remuneration Review will also close to new applications on 31 January 2026.
Post Office said help is available via a dedicated phone and email support team, and urged eligible postmasters to check the criteria and submit an application before the deadline.
Earlier this week, Betty Brown, the oldest surviving victim of the scandal, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2026 New Year Honours List for her tireless campaigning for justice.
Brown, 92, and her late husband Oswall, who ran the Annfield Plain Post Office in County Durham from 1985, forced out in 2003 after spending more than £50,000 of their savings to cover non-existent shortfalls.
She recently received her long-awaited settlement from the Group Litigation Order Scheme, which provides ex-gratia redress for postmasters who were claimants in the group litigation and part of its settlement in 2019.