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STV News
08-07-2025
- Business
- STV News
Post Office Inquiry: Horizon scandal drove 13 people to suicide, report finds
The report also concluded Post Office bosses knew the Horizon IT system was capable of errors, but had 'maintained a fiction' it was accurate, as ITV News Investigations Editor Daniel Hewitt reports A damning report into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal has concluded that at least 13 people may have taken their own lives after being accused of wrongdoing. The report, issued as part of the long-running inquiry into the faulty Horizon IT system used in Post Office branches, described the impact on subpostmasters as 'disastrous' and said it heard evidence from 59 others who had also contemplated suicide as a result of the pressures from the scandal. Approximately 1,000 subpostmasters were wrongfully prosecuted by the Post Office between 1999 and 2015 after the faulty Legacy Horizon software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts. Tuesday's 162-page report, written by inquiry chair Sir Wyn Williams, also concluded Post Office bosses knew the Horizon IT system had widespread faults, but had 'maintained the fiction' it was accurate for years. Sir Wyn said: 'Although many of the individuals who gave evidence before me were very reluctant to accept it I am satisfied from the evidence that I have heard that a number of senior, or not so senior employees, of the Post Office knew or at the very least should have known that Legacy Horizon was capable of error. 'Yet, for all practical purposes, throughout the lifetime of Legacy Horizon, the Post Office maintained the fiction that its data was always accurate.' The report also found the Legacy Horizon system's 2010 replacement – known as Horizon Online – was also 'afflicted by bugs' and that employees of Fujitsu and the Post Office 'knew that this was so'. It emphasised the human cost of the scandal and criticised the failure to provide adequate redress, following years of ambiguous and inconsistent financial compensation offers from the Post Office. The inquiry estimates that as many as 10,000 people may have been affected by the Horizon scandal, including both convicted subpostmasters and those who experienced financial or reputational damage as a result of the system's failures. Sir Wyn described the attitude of the Post Office and its advisors in making compensation offers to victims as 'unnecessarily adversarial' and added this has had 'the effect of depressing the level of which settlements have been achieved'. What does the report recommend? Sir Wyn set out 19 recommendations, including: Delays and lack of legal support: The report found serious failings in the four compensation schemes – the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), the (GLO) Scheme, the Overturned Convictions (OC) Scheme, and the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) – highlighting that 'the Post Office, the Department and Ministers simply failed to grasp' how hard timely redress would be. It criticised the refusal to fund legal advice under the HSS, saying the department 'continues to resist this as if its life depended on it.' The report found serious failings in the four compensation schemes – the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), the (GLO) Scheme, the Overturned Convictions (OC) Scheme, and the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) – highlighting that 'the Post Office, the Department and Ministers simply failed to grasp' how hard timely redress would be. It criticised the refusal to fund legal advice under the HSS, saying the department 'continues to resist this as if its life depended on it.' Slow progress in GLO scheme: The GLO scheme, meant to compensate Alan Bates and other subpostmasters involved in litigation, was singled out as being 'very slow'. Sir Wyn warned that compensation may not be settled by the end of 2026. The GLO scheme, meant to compensate Alan Bates and other subpostmasters involved in litigation, was singled out as being 'very slow'. Sir Wyn warned that compensation may not be settled by the end of 2026. Call for clarity and fairness: The report urged the government to define what it means by 'full and fair financial' redress and stated that compensation should reflect 'the top end of the appropriate range of damages' a court might award. The report urged the government to define what it means by 'full and fair financial' redress and stated that compensation should reflect 'the top end of the appropriate range of damages' a court might award. Financial support for family : It called for a formal process to compensate close family members of those harmed by the Horizon scandal. : It called for a formal process to compensate close family members of those harmed by the Horizon scandal. Broader redress system proposed: It recommended creating a permanent public body to oversee future financial redress for victims of state wrongdoing. The report states that the government, Post Office and Fujitsu must provide a written response to the recommendations by October 10, 2025. A Post Office spokesperson said: 'The Inquiry has brought to life the devastating stories of those impacted by the Horizon Scandal. Their experiences represent a shameful period in our history. 'Today, we apologise unreservedly for the suffering which Post Office caused to postmasters and their loved ones. We will carefully consider the report and its recommendations.' The government is expected to give is a statement in the House of Commons later on Tuesday. Post Office Minister, Gareth Thomas, said: 'I welcome the Inquiry's publication today and pay tribute to Sir Wyn and his team for their comprehensive and penetrating work. 'We must never lose sight of the Horizon Scandal's human impact on postmasters and their families, which the Inquiry has highlighted so well. 'Sir Wyn's report highlights a series of failings by the Post Office and various governments. His recommendations are immensely helpful as a guide for what is needed to finish the job, and we will respond in full to Parliament after carefully considering them.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Mirror
08-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Post Office compensation bombshell as 10,000 people may be eligible for payouts
The first part of a landmark final report has now been released today by retired judge Sir Wyn, in which he estimates there are around 10,000 people who are claiming compensation A bombshell report into the Post Office Horizon scandal has revealed 10,000 people may be eligible for compensation. More than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongly convicted between 1999 and 2015 of theft and fraud due to faulty Horizon software used by the Post Office. They were accused after faulty Horizon data incorrectly showed money was missing from their branch accounts. At least 13 people are believed to have taken their own lives following the impact of the prosecutions. The scandal has been called the biggest miscarriage of justice in UK legal history, with anger around the case reignited last year thanks to the hit ITV drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office. The first part of a landmark final report has now been released today by retired judge Sir Wyn, in which he estimates there are around 10,000 people who are claiming compensation through four schemes. This includes the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, Group Litigation Order Scheme, Overturned Convictions Scheme, and Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme. It is expected that this number will rise by hundreds or more in the coming months. More than £1billion has so far been paid out to over 7,300 postmasters. The 162-page report said: 'Wives, husbands, children and parents endured very significant suffering in the form of distress, worry and disruption (to home life, in employment and in education). 'In a number of cases relationships with spouses and partners broke down and ended in divorce or separation.' Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said: 'The publication of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry's report today by Sir Wyn and his team marks an important milestone for subpostmasters and their families. 'I welcome the publication today and am committed to ensuring wronged subpostmasters are given full, fair, and prompt redress. The recommendations contained in Sir Wyn's report require careful reflection, including on further action to complete the redress schemes. Government will promptly respond to the recommendations in full in Parliament.' Post Office Minister, Gareth Thomas, said: 'I welcome the Inquiry's publication today and pay tribute to Sir Wyn and his team for their comprehensive and penetrating work. 'We must never lose sight of the Horizon Scandal's human impact on postmasters and their families, which the Inquiry has highlighted so well. 'Sir Wyn's report highlights a series of failings by the Post Office and various governments. His recommendations are immensely helpful as a guide for what is needed to finish the job, and we will respond in full to Parliament after carefully considering them.'
Daily Record
08-07-2025
- Daily Record
13 people feared to have taken their own lives over Horizon Post Office scandal
On top of this a total of 59 victims of the Horizon scandal contemplated suicide with 10 attempting to take their own lives, the report by Sir Wyn Williams said. There was a "real possibility" that 13 people took their own lives because of the Horizon Post Office scandal, a report by the public inquiry has said. Another 59 victims of the Horizon scandal contemplated suicide with 10 attempting to take their own lives, the report by Sir Wyn Williams said. The report also said Post Office bosses should have known Horizon was faulty but 'maintained the fiction that its data was always accurate' when prosecuting subpostmasters. Williams said 'a number of senior' people at the organisation were aware the Horizon system was capable of errors He said around 10,000 people are eligible to submit compensation claims following what has been dubbed as the worst miscarriage of justice in British legal history. The scandal was propelled into the spotlight in January last year after ITV's drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, starring actor Toby Jones about Sir Alan Bates, former sub-postmaster and founder of the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance. Ex-Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells is accused of overseeing a huge number of wrongful prosecutions and convictions. Approximately 1,000 people were wrongly prosecuted and convicted throughout the UK between 1999 and 2015 as a result of faulty Fujitsu software, with a significant number contemplating self-harm, the report said. Williams also singled out the behaviour of Post Office investigators, saying subpostmasters 'will have been in wholly unfamiliar territory and they will have found the experience to be troubling at best and harrowing at worst'. The publication of the first part of the report on Tuesday focused solely on the devastating impact of the scandal on victims and the compensation offered to subpostmasters, with a further report potentially attributing blame expected at a later date. Williams said: 'Although many of the individuals who gave evidence before me were very reluctant to accept it, I am satisfied from the evidence that I have heard that a number of senior, and not-so-senior employees of the Post Office knew or, at the very least should have known, that Legacy Horizon was capable of error. 'Yet for all practical purposes, throughout the lifetime of Legacy Horizon, the Post Office maintained the fiction that its data was always accurate.' Williams made a total of 19 recommendations as part of his report, including that the Government and the Post Office should make a public announcement about what they mean by 'full and fair redress'. He also said claimants who apply for compensation as part of the main scheme, the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, should be entitled to free legal advice. The chairman also addressed criticism of another scheme, the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme, saying claimants should be entitled to the £600,000 fixed offer even if they submit their own detailed individual claim. Williams urged the Government to establish a public body to devise, administer and deliver compensation to those wronged by authorities. The report said the number of people eligible to submit compensation claims as part of the scandal is likely to rise 'by at least hundreds, if not more, over the coming months'. In a statement, the Post Office said: 'The inquiry has brought to life the devastating stories of those impacted by the Horizon Scandal. 'Their experiences represent a shameful period in our history. 'Today, we apologise unreservedly for the suffering which Post Office caused to postmasters and their loved ones. 'We will carefully consider the report and its recommendations.'
Daily Mirror
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Post Office compensation happening far too slowly, damning report finds
A report by the cross-party Public Accounts Committee (PAC) found victims of the Horizon IT scandal are still not getting the payouts they deserve with the Government taking 'insufficient' action Compensation for Post Office scandal victims is still moving "too slowly", a damning report has found. Cross-party MPs found not enough is being done to make sure those affected by the Horizon IT failings are applying for payouts. One scheme for wrongly convicted postmasters has not had a single full claim, the Public Accounts Committee found. It says the Government has taken "insufficient action" to make sure those who are entitled to compensation actually receive it. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who chairs the committee, said: "Thousands of people were failed deeply by the system. "This Committee would have hoped to have found government laser-focused on ensuring all those eligible were fully and fairly compensated for what happened. It is deeply dissatisfactory to find these schemes still moving far too slowly, with no government plans to track down the majority of potential claimants who may not yet be aware of their proper entitlements." By March the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) had written to 18,500 people making them aware of the Horizon Shortfall Scheme. But just one in five letters received a response - and there are no plans to follow up, the committee report said. MPs found that 25 of 111 eligible victims had not applied to another scheme relating to convictions in the most complex cases. Sir Geoffrey said: "It is entirely unacceptable that those affected by this scandal, some of whom have had to go through the courts to clear their names, are being forced to relitigate their cases a second time." More than 700 postmasters were wrongly convicted, and many more suffered after dodgy computer systems made it look like money was missing from their branches. Elsewhere the committee found the department had been "dangerously flatfooted" in trying to recoup nearly £2billion in Covid-related fraud. It found DBT had recovered just £130million in payouts from lenders, while the National Investigation Service (NATIS) had got back a "minimal" £8.6million from Bounce Back loan fraud. Business owners inflated their turnover to secure more cash to stay afloat during the crisis, costing the taxpayer huge sums. Sir Geoffrey said: "DBT were unable to tell us if even the tiny fraction of that sum recovered was in fact even related to fraud. Indeed, relying on government-backed lenders to recover losses, who thus lack any incentive to pursue lost funds, has been a dangerously flatfooted approach. "Now that the Insolvency Service has taken over responsibility for viable cases, we look forward to hearing how it fares where others have failed."
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Post Office compensation chief let go after criticism by Sir Alan Bates
The Post Office director responsible for compensating victims of the Horizon scandal has been let go amid criticism of the process by Sir Alan Bates, The Telegraph can disclose. Simon Recaldin, who headed up the Post Office's Remediation Unit, is understood to have taken voluntary redundancy and left the organisation earlier this week. His departure comes ahead of the expected publication of the first part of a public inquiry report into the scandal, which will examine the compensation process and the impact on victims. Sir Alan, whose efforts to uncover the truth about Horizon, featured in an acclaimed ITV drama, criticised the overall compensation process last month and accused the Government of presiding over a 'quasi kangaroo court'. On Friday, a Post Office spokesman said Mr Recaldin's departure was a result of a review of its operating model and a subsequent 'Post Office-wide organisational design exercise'. The Telegraph understands that Joanne Hanley, who worked at Lloyds Banking Group for more than 20 years, is now covering a large part of Mr Recaldin's previous work. Before leaving for the Post Office, Ms Hanley was a managing director and global head of client servicing, data and operations for Lloyds' corporate markets. More than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted between 1999 and 2015, when Fujitsu's faulty Horizon software incorrectly suggested that they were stealing money. A public inquiry into the scandal finished hearing evidence in December 2024 and the first part of the report is expected to be published in the coming weeks. Sir Alan has been highly critical of the various compensation schemes, which he described as 'quasi-kangaroo courts' in The Sunday Times last month. Speaking to The Telegraph on Friday, Sir Alan said: 'It's not so much as throwing out the people working on the scheme, it's more about throwing out the schemes – that would be my preference. 'We have got serious concerns about the transparency and the parity across the schemes.' Sir Alan, who won a High Court battle against the Post Office in 2019, said his latest compensation offer was on a 'take it or leave it' basis and amounted to less than half of his original claim. The campaigner and more than 500 other sub-postmasters who joined him in a court action have to apply for compensation through the Group Litigation Order scheme, now administered by the Government. Separately, the Post Office runs the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, set up for victims who were neither involved in the compensation scheme nor convicted as a result of false shortfalls. Mr Recaldin, who attended the inquiry for the second time in November last year to give evidence in its final phase, apologised when it emerged that staff involved in Horizon prosecutions were given jobs managing compensation claims. A former NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland manager, he took on the position as head of the then-Historical Matters Business Unit in January 2022. When asked about former Post Office investigators, he told the inquiry: 'So my regret – and it is a genuine regret – is that when I came in, in January 2022, that I didn't do that conflicts check, check back on my inherited team, and challenge that. 'And that I absolutely apologise for, because I think that's something that should have been done.' A Post Office spokesman said: 'As part of the Post Office's commitment to deliver a 'new deal for postmasters', we have undertaken a review of our operating model to ensure we have the right structure in place. 'We have been in consultation with a number of colleagues from across the business, including the Remediation Unit. As a result of this Post Office-wide organisational design exercise, Simon Recaldin has left the business.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
