Government Avoids Pressuring Post Office Victims for Compensation Claims

Post office operators yet to claim compensation of at least £600,000 related to the Horizon IT scandal have not been chased up by officials because the government did not want to “harass” them with letters, according to a report by the House of Commons public accounts committee (PAC).

Last year, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) opened a scheme to compensate 800 individuals who had their criminal convictions quashed due to the Post Office’s flawed Horizon IT system. However, almost a year later, only 42% have accepted the fixed sum, and a third have not applied at all.

Official figures show that over £1bn has been paid out in compensation to more than 7,300 claimants across four redress schemes. The Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) has paid out around £560m, while the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) has awarded £245m in compensation.

Sir Alan Bates, a key figure in the campaign for justice for post office operators, received a reduced compensation offer. The DBT admitted that it has not received any full claims from operators who do not want to accept the £600,000 deal.

The PAC criticized the slow progress of the compensation schemes and the lack of follow-up on eligible operators. The Post Office has also faced criticism for the slow response rate to the compensation schemes.

According to Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the chair of the PAC, the government should focus on ensuring all eligible individuals are compensated fairly for the Horizon scandal.

The Post Office has paid over £1bn to victims of the Horizon IT scandal, but more work is needed to ensure all victims receive full redress promptly.

The MPs also raised concerns about the financial backing of the Post Office, which is owned by the government. The government funds all compensation schemes and provides a “letter of support” to the Post Office, which has raised concerns about financial accountability.

According to the source: The Guardian.