Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake (Image: James Manning/PA Wire)
The Post Office scandal – which arose following the installation of the Horizon software in the late 1990s - is one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in history and this week has shown just how much this means to everyone up and down the country.
I have always been horrified by the way postmasters have been treated and how they were made to feel isolated with their claims. As an MP, and as a Minister, I have made it my priority to get justice and compensation to victims as quickly as possible.
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As a backbencher, I stood up in Parliament and made the case for more compensation for postmasters, and then as Postal Affairs Minister, I introduced a ￡600,000 one-off payment for those who have had Horizon convictions overturned so they can get access to the compensation they are entitled to and get on with their lives.
I’ve heard of multiple harrowing stories during this time, of postmasters who have lost everything because of this faulty IT software. A particular example was Sam Harrison’s case from Nawton Post Office. Sam could not get her Horizon terminal to balance correctly and eventually handed Post Office ￡3,000 from her own savings. Sam tragically passed away before she got the justice she deserved, and her sons took on their mother’s compensation claim to ensure her name is completely cleared of any wrongdoing.
It is real stories such as this and those depicted in the momentous ITV drama, Mr Bates vs. The Post Office, brought these stories to people’s TV screen across the UK – accelerating this week to be nothing short of unprecedented. Justice will be achieved with the UK Government introducing new laws within weeks to overturn the convictions of all postmasters that were brought about by incorrect Horizon evidence in England and Wales.
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Victims have already had to wait years for the justice they deserve – and this will ensure they do not have to wait any longer by going through a convoluted court process.
We know compensation won’t right the wrongs of the past, but victims will also be able to immediately claim ￡600,000, if that is their preference, to get on and rebuild their lives. This is an alternative route to going down the full assessment. There is no limit to compensation for those who choose to decline the ￡600k and choose the full assessment route instead.
And our advice to postmasters with a conviction to overturn is to not sign a no-win, no-fee arrangement with a legal firm. Government will cover legal costs and arrangements will be announced following the legislation.
And if it wasn’t for the trailblazing postmasters – led by Mr Bates – who took the Post Office to court, we wouldn’t even know of the scale of this scandal. That’s why we’re offering them a new ￡75,000 optional payment, bypassing the assessment process.
Understandably not all postmasters, especially those whose lives were turn upside down by the scandal, will want to take this route. So, for those who don’t choose to take this option, their claims can be assessed as part of the usual scheme process, in which there is no limit of compensation.
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This week was a momentous breakthrough for everyone involved, but the work doesn’t stop there. I know there are still many postmasters fighting for their compensation, and some haven’t yet come forward, so there is plenty more to do.
I regularly meet with the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board. I want to thank them for their long-standing commitment to this campaign. This week they welcomed our decisions to overturn convictions and make the ￡75,000 minimum payment.
And I want all postmasters to know that my door is always open.
If you’re reading this and your life was negatively affected by the Horizon IT system but don’t know who to speak to - or you’ve been trapped in the bureaucracy of legal documents and your compensation is taking too long - I am always available and keen to meet as many postmasters as possible and I hope that this week’s announcement gives postmasters the push they needed to come forward and get their justice.
As well as justice, people understandably want accountability. Sir Wyn Williams is leading the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry and is examining all the evidence to find out what went wrong and who was responsible.
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Until this Inquiry concludes at the end of this year, we don’t want a trial by media. The Inquiry should be allowed to do its work before we fully understand who is responsible.
The taxpayer shouldn’t be left with the tab for this scandal so I will be looking at the extent of any other organisations' culpability once the Inquiry has reported back.
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Significant progress has been made so far but of course there’s more to do. Full and final compensation has been paid to 64% of those affected, with over ￡148 million paid to over 2,700 victims across all compensation schemes.
Ninety-five convictions have been overturned and of these, 30 have agreed full and final settlements. Just over ￡30 million has been paid out to those with overturned convictions but thanks to this week’s announcement, that number will increase.
It is important that everyone knows the truth about what happened and that steps are being taken to right the wrongs of the past. There are three parts to justice; truth & accountability, compensation, and the promise that lessons are learnt to prevent anything like this from ever happening again. We are delivering all three.
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