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Post Office: Compensation for Horizon scandal
07 December 2022
Type
Written Ministerial Statement
Department
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
At a Glance
Issue Summary
This statement addresses the compensation scheme for postmasters affected by the Post Office Horizon scandal.
Action Requested
Grant Shapps announces that BEIS will deliver an Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme to compensate group litigation order members, with an independent advisory board chaired by Professor Chris Hodges. The minister also outlines plans to start compensating claimants before summer and resolve most cases by end of 2023, along with updates on overturned historical convictions compensation progress.
Key Facts
- Horizon scandal affected postmasters since late 1990s.
- 555 postmasters are part of the Group Litigation Order case.
- Independent advisory Board chaired by Professor Chris Hodges will oversee the scheme.
- Lord Arbuthnot and Kevan Jones MP will be on the advisory board.
- Experts for the Alternative Dispute Resolution approach should be onboard by early Spring 2024.
- Post Office has identified potential cases of hardship and offered £100,000 to three postmasters.
- Upper limit of interim payments increased from £100,000 to £163,000.
- As of December 1, 51 claims for non-pecuniary damages received with offers worth £4.7m.
- Post Office issued offers of compensation under Historical Shortfall Scheme totalling £70.8 million to 93% of eligible claimants by November 30.
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