House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement
Government Response to Green Paper on the Future of the Post Office
25 February 2026 · Department for Business and Trade
Proposed by Blair McDougall Lab East Renfrewshire
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
At a glance
Key points
- Government will retain minimum network size of 11,500 Post Office branches
- At least 50 percent of branches will be required to offer full-time, full-service operations
- Up to 663.4 million in funding will be provided over three years for the network
Issue summary
The statement addresses the Government's response to the consultation on the future of the Post Office, aiming to secure a modern, trusted, and financially resilient network.
Action requested
The Government will retain the minimum network size of 11,500 branches, introduce a requirement for at least 50% of branches to be full-time, full-service, provide up to £663.4 million in funding over three years, and continue working on various initiatives such as modernising branches and enhancing banking services.
Key facts
- Government received contributions from more than two and a half thousand people during the consultation.
- The minimum network size will be retained at 11,500 branches with at least 50% being full-time, full-service branches.
- Up to £663.4 million in funding is planned over three years: up to £180 million for network subsidy and up to £483.4 million for transformation.
- The Remediation Unit will receive up to £37.4 million for redress to postmasters affected by the Horizon IT system.
- Up to £104 million is planned to cover IR35 tax liability funding.
- Government plans to establish a cross-government group to improve government services access via the Post Office.