The Post Office is to close the largest compensation scheme for post office operators affected by the Horizon scandal this weekend, leaving potentially thousands of claimants out of pocket for losses produced by the faulty IT system.
The Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), which will close for new applicants at 11.59pm on Saturday, has received more than 9,500 submissions, according to the latest public data to 19 December.
Under the scheme, post office operators with a successful claim can receive a fixed sum of £75,000 or choose to pursue a higher amount.
According to legal experts, many eligible post office operators are likely to miss out on compensation because of the closure of the scheme.
“The number could conceivably amount to several thousands of individuals,” The Guardian quoted Stephen Lewis, a partner at law firm Schofield Sweeney, as saying. “As with a number of lawyers, we are currently preparing applications to the HSS to meet the current deadline.
“Given the reported number of applicants that the scheme is still receiving now, there remains a significant concern that many former postmasters will be denied redress due to an arbitrarily imposed cutoff date that they may not know exists.”
The original HSS scheme launched in May 2020 and was supposed to close in November of that year. But it was then extended to the following March, due to significant concerns that many post office operators were either unaware of the scheme or were too damaged by their experience with the Post Office over Horizon to believe they would get a reasonable level of compensation. HSS was reopened in October 2022
The two HSS schemes have attracted 13,379 submissions, which account for 89% of all applications to all of the schemes run by the Post Office and the Department for Business and Trade. As of 19 December,£812m has been paid out in fully settled claims and interim payments in the HSS schemes.
Of the 7,294 claims that have been settled under the HSS scheme, 92% have opted for the simpler £75,000 fixed sum payout.
Sir Wyn Williams, the chair of the public inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal, had suggested closing the scheme last November. However, the Post Office opted to extend that date until 31 January to remain open until after the Christmas period.
The Post Office has said that it has been promoting awareness of the closure date to post office operators, including taking out paid advertisements in national and regional media, as well as on social media, to encourage applications.