Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Government to take over redress for convicted postmasters from Post Office

UK government takes over Post Office Horizon scandal redress scheme.

Former subpostmasters

Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images

Fulfilling a key request from those impacted by Post Office Horizon scandal, Department for Business and Trade today (3) announced that those who have had their convictions overturned will now have their conviction claims administered by the government, completely taking them out of the hands of the Post Office.

The Post Office will cease to be involved in the redress for postmasters with overturned convictions.


After a three-month transitional period, the Department for Business and Trade’s Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) will broaden its scope to take on responsibility for redress for postmasters who have had their convictions overturned by the Courts.

These are currently dealt with by the Post Office through their Overturned Convictions scheme. This is something that postmasters, campaigners, and Parliamentarians, including the Business and Trade Select Committee, have all called for.

Stating that the victims have "suffered a huge amount", the department stated that while the government can’t fully put right what they have been through, it can make sure the compensation process "works better for them by listening to their grievances and acting upon them where possible to ensure postmasters are treated with dignity and respect".

"Today, this means ending the difficulty of dealing with the organisation which upended so many of their lives," stated the department.

The delivery of redress for victims of the Post office Horizon scandal is a key government manifesto commitment, with a commitment of £1.8 billion to ensure all postmasters receive the justice and financial redress they deserve.

Post Office Minister Gareth Thomas said, "My priority upon coming into office was to speed up the delivery of compensation to the victims of the Horizon scandal.

"We have made significant progress, and we are now moving to ensure there is a quick transfer of schemes from the Post Office to the Department.

"In the meantime, I encourage all those eligible to apply for redress under the Overturned Convictions scheme and continue to progress their claims with the Post Office until the transfer date."

The Department for Business and Trade will formally take over on June 3 2025. The three-month transitional period between now and then will allow for the smooth transfer of active claims from one scheme to the other, ensuring there is no gap in service for postmasters who have claims in the system.

As of 31 January, approximately £663 million has been paid to over 4,300 claimants, which has more than doubled since the end of June 2024.

Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of government actions to address the Post Office Horizon Scandal, including:

  • launching the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) for postmasters whose horizon-related convictions were quashed by Parliament. This scheme has made 364 interim payments to eligible claimants and has fully settled 208 claims, paying out a total of £156 million.
  • on the HCRS, committing to provide first offers on receipt of detailed claims within 40 working days in 90 per cent of cases.
  • beginning payments of a £75,000 fixed offer for those postmasters in the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) who want to accept it: approximately £171 million has been paid in award top-ups and £75,000 awards.
  • publishing our response to the consultant’s report into the Post Office Capture software (predecessor to Horizon) and have committed to offering redress to all non-convicted postmasters who fell victim to flaws in Capture software.
  • announcing an independent appeals process for the HSS to provide individuals with a chance to have their claims reassessed through a DBT-run process. We expect the first cases will be ready for submission in the Spring.
  • confirmed the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board in place.

More for you

Terry Walter's widow criticized the Post Office for delayed compensation
Post Office Horizon scandal
Getty Images (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Widow slams Post Office for delayed, 'less than half'  redressal

Widow of the former post master, whose compensation arrived days after his death, has slammed Post Office for delaying the compensation as well as for offering an "utter disgrace" of the redressal.

Terry Walter was one of 555 sub-postmasters who won a legal battle against the Post Office in 2019. He was part of the GLO Group Litigation Order (GLO) Scheme established after the 2019 High Court win.

Keep ReadingShow less
DPD driver outside a post office with parcels

Post Office and DPD expand partnership with international delivery services

Post Office, DPD expand global reach!

The Post Office and DPD have on Thursday announced an expansion of their partnership with international delivery services.

Following a successful trial at 300 post offices, customers wanting to send parcels abroad can now choose from ‘DPD Classic’, ‘DPD Direct Lite’ and ‘DPD Air Classic & Air Express’ services. The international delivery services are now available at 4,100 post offices across the UK.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fujitsu, the tech company at the heart of the UK's Post Office scandal
Fujitsu, the tech company at the heart of the UK's Post Office scandal
(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Fujitsu called on to make '£300 million' interim payment towards Horizon scandal compensation

Fujitsu, the maker of the software behind the wrong conviction of hundreds of sub post masters in Britain's biggest miscarriage of justice, has been asked to make an "interim payment of at least £300 million" to cover the compensation paid to Post Office Horizon scandal.

Labour peer Lord Beamish called on a debate in House of Lords on Thursday (27) on the progress of the Post Office Horizon compensation scheme and of the contribution of Fujitsu to the compensation of victims.

Keep ReadingShow less
Capture software wrongful convictions

Post Office IT system failures

Getty images

Post Office Capture cases under investigation spike

The number of convictions linked to Capture computing software, which was used in Post Office branches in the 1990s before the infamous faulty Horizon system was introduced, has more than doubled in a span of less than three months, revealed a recent report.

21 Capture cases have now been submitted to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) for review against eight that were reported in December, according to a recent report by Sky News.

Keep ReadingShow less
Former sub-postmistress Seema Misra

Former sub-postmistress Seema Misra

Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images

Seema Misra OBE questions 'real motive' behind Post Office renewing Fujitsu Horizon contract [Exclusive]

Post Office Horizon scandal victim Seema Misra OBE has slammed the government for paying "£40 million" to extend its contract with Fujitsu to continue using the controversial Horizon IT software.

Speaking with Asian Trader, Misra questioned the government's real motive behind the contract renewal despite Horizon being in the centre of what is considered as Britain's biggest miscarriage of justice.

Keep ReadingShow less