Post Office Minister has announced in Parliament
today [Tuesday 8 April] the launch of the new, independent,
appeals process for eligible postmasters in the Horizon Shortfall
Scheme (HSS).
Postmasters who feel their financial settlement did not reflect
the true extent of their losses and trauma will be able to appeal
their settlement ensuring they receive full, fair and swift
redress.
Eligible postmasters and their legal representatives will be
written to later this month and applications for the new Appeals
process will begin to be accepted by the end of April.
Post Office Minister said:
It is our priority that all those who were unjustly affected by
the Horizon IT scandal receive full, fair and swift redress and
today's measures are the next step in providing that.
Since taking office, the total amount of redress paid to victims
has increased by more than three and a half times with £892
million having now been paid to over 6,200 claimants. There is
still more to do, and I am committed to this task until every
affected postmaster receives the redress they rightly deserve.
The Government also announced that each Directly Managed Branch
(DMBs) will be franchised so that Post Office services remain
available to local communities. We have listened to concerns and
made it clear that DMBs should not be closed as we continue to
work with the Post Office as it develops its transformation plan.
There will also be a further £276.9 million in funding for the
Post Office to help support the breadth of the network. This will
enable Post Office to deliver technology transformation and give
them the resources to continue administering redress payments to
postmasters.
There will also be a scheme launched next month to provide
redress to postmasters who faced issues with Post Office
products, polices or processes.
These updates will help rebuild trust with postmasters and ensure
past failings are fully addressed.
Notes to editors
As of 31 March 2025, approximately £892 million has been paid to
over 6,200 claimants across 4 schemes:
- £454 million in the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), including
interim payments
- £67 million in the Overturned Convictions (OC) scheme,
including interim payments
- £150 million in the Group Litigation Order (GLO) scheme,
including interim payments
- £221 million in the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme
(HCRS), including interim payments
