Minister for the Future of Work (): The Horizon and
Capture scandals caused profound harm to postmasters, many of
whom suffered years of financial, personal and reputational
damage through no fault of their own. The Government is
determined to right these historic wrongs by completing its
pledge to ensure that affected postmasters receive the redress
they deserve.
When we came to office in 2024, we promised to ensure that
postmasters would be compensated swiftly. We are doing so. 87% of
Horizon claims received have now been settled and we have paid
over £1.7 billion to more than 14,000 claimants. Redress has now
been agreed for nearly 90% of the group who worked with Sir Alan
Bates to bring the original Horizon legal case.
Horizon Shortfall Scheme Fixed Sum Offer Appeals
In May, the department announced that it would establish an
independent process through which eligible postmasters who
accepted the £75,000 Horizon Shortfall Scheme Fixed Sum Offer
could seek permission to have their claim fully assessed through
the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process. I can now confirm
that we expect to launch that process in November.
Claimants and their representatives will have four months from
the date of launch (or from the date of receipt of their Fixed
Sum offer, whichever is later) to register for the process.
Claimants will be encouraged to seek funded legal support and are
asked to provide a short, written narrative to explain why
£75,000 undervalued their claim. That will be considered by an
Independent Assessor who is independent of both the Government
and the Post Office. Where permission to appeal is granted, the
claim will be assessed in full through the Horizon Shortfall
Scheme Appeals process.
My department has engaged extensively with the Horizon
Compensation Advisory Board, claimant representatives and
postmaster organisations on the design and practical
implementation of the process.
Further guidance, including details of how eligible postmasters
can register, will be published when the process launches.
Shortfall Independent Review
In May 2026, Sir Gary Hickinbottom, the Independent Senior Lawyer
for the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, published his review of Fixed
Sum Offer cases where there was no (or very limited) available
evidence of a Horizon-related shortfall. He recommended that,
where Post Office considers there is insufficient evidence to
make a Fixed Sum Offer, that decision should be independently
reviewed before a claim is rejected. The Government and Post
Office accepted this recommendation in full.
In response, the Shortfall Independent Review will commence in
late October. Eligible cases will be referred to an assessor
independent of both Post Office and Government. This means no
claimant will be refused HSS redress based on Post Office's
decision alone. Eligible claims will have an independent review
of their case before any final decision is made to reject a
claim.
Family Members Scheme
In July, we opened registration for the Horizon Family Members
Redress Scheme, which allows applicants to submit information
that will support the assessment of their applications once
claims processing begins early next year.
A further announcement with more detail on how the scheme will
operate will be made in due course.
HCRS and Capture submission deadlines
Having made significant progress in delivering redress to
claimants, the Government is now providing greater certainty
about the next phase of the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme
(the HCRS) and the Capture Redress Scheme. Establishing
submission deadlines is an important milestone in these schemes,
providing clarity on the path ahead, while ensuring eligible
individuals have sufficient time and support to submit a claim.
Accordingly:
- The HCRS will close to new submissions from 31 July 2027.
This will be three years since the launch of the scheme.
- The Capture Redress Scheme will close to new applications
from 31 March 2027, approximately 18 months after the scheme
opened.
These deadlines reflect the differing nature and complexity of
the application processes under each scheme. Claims submitted
before the deadlines will continue to be progressed to
conclusion.
Pre-Horizon investigation
The Government has made substantial progress in delivering
redress to those affected by the Horizon and Capture scandals.
However, we remain committed to ensuring that no stone is left
unturned in understanding the full extent of issues that may have
affected postmasters.
In line with the recommendation of the Business, Innovation,
Science and Trade Committee, we have begun the process of
commissioning an independent investigation into accounting
software that operated before Horizon. Consistent with our
approach to the Capture software, an independent investigator
will establish a fuller understanding of those software
applications and their impact, providing Government with a robust
evidence base to inform any future considerations.
