Latest news with #NeilHudgell
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former postmaster offers advice after compensation
A former sub-postmaster, whose life was "destroyed" in the Horizon computer scandal, has been offered just over half a million pounds in compensation thanks to "proper legal advice" Bob Stevenson, 81, from Gateshead, was initially offered compensation of £51,000 after losing his family home and business more than 20 years ago. He now stands to receive a settlement of more than £500,000. Mr Stevenson said all he ever wanted "was to make sure that my family was OK" and urged others affected by the scandal to seek professional help. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if you're still involved in it, you've got to go and get proper legal advice." Lawyers are seeking compensation for hundreds of former sub-postmasters who were caught up in the scandal, maintaining some cases have been "grossly undervalued" by the Post Office. "The benefit of doubt should be given to people that put forward credible accounts of what they've lost, rather than a forensic examination," said Mr Stevenson's lawyer, Neil Hudgell. He said almost all the cases his firm had seen had been "worryingly undervalued", with examples of compensation offers being increased from £4,400 to £133,700, or £17,700 to £253,900, after legal representations. It comes as the government is set to open a new appeals process – managed by the Department for Business and Trade - for people compensated through its Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), with many sub-postmasters having concluded their cases and accepted settlements with no legal advice. More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted for stealing because of incorrect information from the Horizon computer system. Many sub-postmasters went to prison for false accounting and theft, and many were financially ruined. It has been called the UK's most widespread miscarriage of justice. Mr Stevenson had just refurbished his shop, where both his wife, Carol, and his son worked. Profits were high. But the installation of the Horizon accounting system in 1999 changed everything. "We pressed the button - £800 down, the very first week it was installed - and that was happening two or three times a month. "I used to go home after work and go in the kitchen and cry looking at the bills," he remembers. "And it's in your contract: you repay the money. So you just kept repaying the money. "It was really hard. I just knew if we couldn't pay the bills - and just didn't - what was going to happen. "We lost everything." In 2002, when Mr Stevenson could no longer plug the financial holes left by the faulty IT system, he was suspended and made bankrupt. "We were in Sunderland Court for the bankruptcies - and then they just basically tell you you've got to get out," he said, describing losing his home. "Horrendous is the only word to describe it. You just feel as though you're a failure." "The retirement plan was to see the world. That was the plan. "Horizon destroyed our lives." After details of the scandal, which found the Horizon system had been incorrectly reporting losses in Post Office branches, were made public, Mr Stevenson and his family were offered compensation of £51,000. After seeking legal advice, they rejected the offer. They have since been offered more than half a million pounds. At 81, having acquired a new home, and with the final settlement impending, Mr Stevenson and his family have a chance to pick up where they left off 23 years ago. "Obviously my son will get it," he says, of the financial settlement. "That's why you feel such a failure - because you haven't done what I thought was my job, you know, to make sure that my family was OK. That's all I wanted." Why were hundreds of Post Office workers wrongly prosecuted? How do the Post Office compensation schemes work? How Post Office drama shone light on scandal
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Gateshead former sub-postmaster urges others to seek legal advice
A former sub-postmaster, whose life was "destroyed" in the Horizon computer scandal, has been offered just over half a million pounds in compensation thanks to "proper legal advice"Bob Stevenson, 81, from Gateshead, was initially offered compensation of £51,000 after losing his family home and business more than 20 years ago. He now stands to receive a settlement of more than £500, Stevenson said all he ever wanted "was to make sure that my family was OK" and urged others affected by the scandal to seek professional help."I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if you're still involved in it, you've got to go and get proper legal advice." Lawyers are seeking compensation for hundreds of former sub-postmasters who were caught up in the scandal, maintaining some cases have been "grossly undervalued" by the Post Office. "The benefit of doubt should be given to people that put forward credible accounts of what they've lost, rather than a forensic examination," said Mr Stevenson's lawyer, Neil said almost all the cases his firm had seen had been "worryingly undervalued", with examples of compensation offers being increased from £4,400 to £133,700, or £17,700 to £253,900, after legal comes as the government is set to open a new appeals process – managed by the Department for Business and Trade - for people compensated through its Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), with many sub-postmasters having concluded their cases and accepted settlements with no legal advice. More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted for stealing because of incorrect information from the Horizon computer system. Many sub-postmasters went to prison for false accounting and theft, and many were financially has been called the UK's most widespread miscarriage of Stevenson had just refurbished his shop, where both his wife, Carol, and his son worked. Profits were the installation of the Horizon accounting system in 1999 changed everything. "We pressed the button - £800 down, the very first week it was installed - and that was happening two or three times a month. "I used to go home after work and go in the kitchen and cry looking at the bills," he remembers."And it's in your contract: you repay the money. So you just kept repaying the money. "It was really hard. I just knew if we couldn't pay the bills - and just didn't - what was going to happen. "We lost everything." Made bankrupt In 2002, when Mr Stevenson could no longer plug the financial holes left by the faulty IT system, he was suspended and made bankrupt."We were in Sunderland Court for the bankruptcies - and then they just basically tell you you've got to get out," he said, describing losing his home."Horrendous is the only word to describe it. You just feel as though you're a failure." "The retirement plan was to see the world. That was the plan. "Horizon destroyed our lives." After details of the scandal, which found the Horizon system had been incorrectly reporting losses in Post Office branches, were made public, Mr Stevenson and his family were offered compensation of £51, seeking legal advice, they rejected the offer. They have since been offered more than half a million pounds. At 81, having acquired a new home, and with the final settlement impending, Mr Stevenson and his family have a chance to pick up where they left off 23 years ago."Obviously my son will get it," he says, of the financial settlement."That's why you feel such a failure - because you haven't done what I thought was my job, you know, to make sure that my family was OK. That's all I wanted."
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Post Office scandal victim's compensation offer rises by almost 900pc
A Post Office scandal victim has seen his compensation offer rise by almost 900 per cent after he rejected a payout of £51,200. Bob Stevenson, 81, and his wife Carol, 72, have spent the past two decades living in a council house after he was suspended over a £10,000 shortfall which was recorded incorrectly in his branch accounts in 2002. The pensioner has now been awarded £502,000 – almost 10 times what he was offered in 2023 – when he attempted to apply for a payout without legal advice. On Tuesday, Neil Hudgell, his solicitor, told The Telegraph that his client would accept the offer as an 'interim payment' but he would be 'fighting for more' and that he believed Mr Stevenson was entitled to a further £100,000. More than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted between 1999 and 2015, when Fujitsu's faulty Horizon software incorrectly recorded shortfalls on their branch accounts. A public inquiry into the scandal finished hearing evidence in December 2024, and a full report is expected to be published this year. In the meantime, victims of the scandal are still fighting for financial redress, with campaigners and lawyers arguing that some of the clients have died while waiting for payouts. 'We deserve something to look forward to' Mr Stevenson's suspension from his position at the East Fellgate branch led to the loss of his family home and eventual bankruptcy. Mr Stevenson said: 'We lost our business which we'd bought for more than £100,000, we'd lost our house, and my son lost everything as he'd given up a managerial position to come and run our shop, which we also lost.' He added: 'We've had to scrape by the best we could ever since, but this compensation has enabled us to go out and buy our own two-bedroomed bungalow, having spent the past two decades, since this all happened to us, in a council house. The money landed in my account at midday, and I'd spent most of it on a new home for us a couple of hours later. 'I'm 81 and my wife is 72, and we deserve something to look forward to and somewhere to enjoy the rest of our days. We're now moving back just around the corner from the house we had, and had to sell, when we lost the Post Office.' 'He will be fighting for more' As of April 30, approximately £964 million has been paid to more than 6,800 claimants across four compensation schemes. Last month, the Government launched a new independent appeals process for those claiming through the Horizon shortfall scheme (HSS). However, the HSS scheme and others have continued to attract criticism from unhappy victims and lawyers. Earlier this month, The Telegraph revealed that Post Office staff who pursued victims in the Horizon IT scandal were still working in departments handling the falsely accused sub-postmasters' compensation claims. Sir Alan Bates, the former sub-postmaster who played a leading role in the campaign for justice for the Horizon victims, described the staff's involvement as ' without a doubt a conflict of interest '. It is understood Mr Stevenson's offer was increased following the inclusion of additional information in his application. Speaking to The Telegraph about his client's claim, Mr Hudgell, of Hudgell Solicitors, said: 'It's a fairly common problem. What we see is that people who have settled directly have been undercompensated and I don't believe Mr Stevenson is an exception to the rule. 'I actually believe his experience is likely to be replicated across many other people.' Mr Hudgell added: 'He will accept it as an interim payment, but he will be fighting for more because it's just not enough. 'I would not be surprised if there was another additional six-figure sum – at least another £100,000 in my view.' A Post Office spokesman said: 'We, like everyone else, want to see full and fair redress paid to victims of the Horizon IT Scandal, and are doing everything we can to ensure this happens as quickly as possible. 'Post Office recommends that applicants take independent legal advice before accepting their offers in the Horizon shortfall scheme, and we will pay for this advice. 'We welcome Mr Stevenson's increased redress offer and would like to encourage those eligible to come forward to apply for redress if they have not already done so.' The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) will formally take over responsibility for redress for postmasters with overturned convictions on June 3 2025. A DBT spokesperson said: 'We recognise the suffering that Bob and other victims of the Horizon scandal have endured and we welcome his increased redress offer. 'We recently launched an appeal mechanism in the Horizon shortfall scheme for postmasters who are unhappy with their offer, which will include providing free independent legal advice to help them challenge their offer and reach a final outcome.'
Sky News
26-02-2025
- Sky News
Post Office scandal: 21 ‘Capture' cases now being investigated for miscarriages of justice
The number of convictions linked to a second Post Office IT scandal being investigated for miscarriages of justice - has more than doubled, Sky News has learned. Twenty-one Capture cases have now been submitted to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) for review. Before Christmas, it was around eight. They relate to the Capture computing software, which was used in Post Office branches in the 1990s before the infamous faulty Horizon system was introduced. Hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongly accused of stealing after Horizon software caused false shortfalls in branch accounts between 1999 and 2015. A report last year found that there was a reasonable likelihood that the Capture accounting system, used from the early 1990s until 1999, was also responsible for shortfalls. If the CCRC finds significant new evidence or legal arguments not previously heard before, cases can be referred back to the Court of Appeal. Lawyer for victims, Neil Hudgell from Hudgell Solicitors, says the next steps for the Capture cases and the CCRC are still "some months away". He said he is also hopeful that the first cases could be referred to the Court of Appeal before the end of this year. "Certainly we will certainly be lobbying," he said. "The CCRC will be lobbying, the advisory board will be lobbying any interested parties, that these are hideously damaged people of advancing years who need some peace of mind and the quicker that can happen the better." 1:23 'We didn't talk about it' Among those submitted to the CCRC - Pat Owen's Capture case was the first. Her family have kept her 1998 conviction for stealing from her post office branch a secret for 26 years. Speaking to Sky News they have opened up for the first time about what happened to her. Pat was a former sub-postmistress, who was found guilty and given a two-year suspended sentence. She died in 2003 from heart failure. Her daughters describe her as coming home from court after her conviction "a different woman". "We didn't talk about it," said Juliet Shardlow. "We didn't talk about it amongst ourselves as a family, we didn't talk about it with the extended family. "Our extended family don't know." David Owen, Pat's husband, said she lost a lot of weight after her conviction and at 62 years old "looked like an old gal of 90". Capture evidence never heard in court Pat's family kept all the documents from her case safe for over two decades and now a key piece of evidence may turn the tide on her conviction, and potentially help others. A document summarising the findings of an IT expert described the computer Pat used as having "a faulty motherboard". It also stated that this "would have produced calculation errors and may have been responsible for the discrepancies subsequently identified by Post Office Counters' Security and Investigation team." The family say they never found out exactly why he didn't show up at court. David said there was a computer all set up in the courtroom for the expert to use to show malfunctions. "I heard, now I can't remember who from, that he'd done work for the Post Office," he said. "If he turned up to be a witness in court for us to he wouldn't get any more work from the Post Office." Despite best efforts the expert has never been tracked down. The Post Office has declined to comment. David also described how his wife never expected to lose her case. "She was so confident. She knew she didn't do anything wrong," he said. "But when the guilty verdict came out she actually fell to her knees in the dock crying her eyes out shaking." He said the judge then asked if he wanted to say anything, and David said he got up in court and spoke at length about his wife's innocence. The government announced in December that they will be setting up a redress scheme for Capture victims, similar to Horizon. So far around 100 people who suffered after being accused of stealing from their branch, while using Capture, could be eligible for redress.
