Thousands of Post Office Subpostmasters Could Miss Out on Compensation Due to Closure of Horizon Scheme.
A looming deadline is set to shut the door on a compensation scheme for post office subpostmasters affected by the Horizon IT scandal, leaving many claimants potentially out of pocket. The Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), which has received over 9,500 applications since its launch in May 2020, will close for new applicants at midnight on Saturday.
According to government figures, hundreds of applications are still being submitted each month, with a staggering 357 between November and December. This raises concerns that many eligible claimants may miss out on compensation due to the scheme's deadline. A leading lawyer has warned that "the number could conceivably amount to several thousands of individuals" who will be denied redress.
The Horizon scandal, which began in the late 1990s, saw post office operators wrongly accused of theft, fraud, and false accounting based on faulty information from the Horizon IT system. The Post Office has admitted to relentless pursuit of subpostmasters, with over 3,500 branch owner-operators wrongly accused and more than 900 prosecuted.
The government has paid out billions of pounds in compensation to date, but many claimants are still seeking justice. The original HSS scheme was launched in May 2020, but it was extended due to concerns that many post office operators were unaware of the scheme or too damaged by their experience with the Post Office over Horizon.
Critics argue that the scheme's deadline is arbitrary and may not catch all eligible claimants. "The rush to file claims – and certainty of taking £75,000 – could mean that post office operators are not settling for less than the true value of the losses they suffered," said Matthew Haddow, partner at Menzies LLP.
The Post Office has taken steps to promote awareness of the closure date, including paid advertisements in national and regional media. However, with 300 or more applications coming in every month, it remains unclear how many claimants will be left behind when the scheme closes on Saturday.
A looming deadline is set to shut the door on a compensation scheme for post office subpostmasters affected by the Horizon IT scandal, leaving many claimants potentially out of pocket. The Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), which has received over 9,500 applications since its launch in May 2020, will close for new applicants at midnight on Saturday.
According to government figures, hundreds of applications are still being submitted each month, with a staggering 357 between November and December. This raises concerns that many eligible claimants may miss out on compensation due to the scheme's deadline. A leading lawyer has warned that "the number could conceivably amount to several thousands of individuals" who will be denied redress.
The Horizon scandal, which began in the late 1990s, saw post office operators wrongly accused of theft, fraud, and false accounting based on faulty information from the Horizon IT system. The Post Office has admitted to relentless pursuit of subpostmasters, with over 3,500 branch owner-operators wrongly accused and more than 900 prosecuted.
The government has paid out billions of pounds in compensation to date, but many claimants are still seeking justice. The original HSS scheme was launched in May 2020, but it was extended due to concerns that many post office operators were unaware of the scheme or too damaged by their experience with the Post Office over Horizon.
Critics argue that the scheme's deadline is arbitrary and may not catch all eligible claimants. "The rush to file claims – and certainty of taking £75,000 – could mean that post office operators are not settling for less than the true value of the losses they suffered," said Matthew Haddow, partner at Menzies LLP.
The Post Office has taken steps to promote awareness of the closure date, including paid advertisements in national and regional media. However, with 300 or more applications coming in every month, it remains unclear how many claimants will be left behind when the scheme closes on Saturday.
. Its not like they're gonna be able to get help or anything after Sat night when the scheme is closed... 
!! Thousands of Post Office Subpostmasters are gonna miss out on compensation?! Like, what's going on? The government should've thought this through before setting a deadline 
. I get it, billions of pounds have been paid out already, but that doesn't mean the others who suffered are gonna be left behind 
. It's crazy to think about all those people still seeking justice and now they're running out of time 
. They should've extended the deadline like they did before or even better, just made it permanent 
. Can you imagine being in their shoes? I'm so angry on behalf of these subpostmasters 
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. And what if they're not even aware of the scheme anymore? The gov has paid out billions but it doesn't seem like enough for some folks 
. I'm all for getting things done but let's make sure we don't leave anyone behind 
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I was thinking about this whole Horizon saga the other day and I'm still not getting my head around it 
. All those subpostmasters wrongly accused and prosecuted, it's just crazy! And now they're running out of time to get compensation? It's like the government is saying "oh well, you should've applied sooner" 
. And don't even get me started on the £75k figure - is that really enough for someone who's lost everything because of this faulty system? 
And 357 new applications in two months? That's crazy! Can't they just give people more time? It's not like these subpostmasters are trying to scam anyone... they're just trying to get what's owed to them after being wrongfully accused and harassed by the Post Office. It's a classic case of "you know you're in the right, but we'll still screw you over" 
what's wrong with a little extra time to sort this out? it's not like they're asking for much, just some justice for all the crap they went through. and £75k is barely enough considering all the emotional trauma and financial loss... 357 new claims every month is crazy! someone needs to do something about this ASAP 
. And what about those who aren't aware or haven't got around to applying yet? Like, what's going to happen to them? They should be given more time 
. The government's paid out billions, but is that really enough? £75k might seem like a lot, but for people who've lost their livelihoods or suffered mental health issues, it's not the same 
I'm not surprised they're closing the Horizon Scheme now... like we haven't been warning about this for years 
The gov needs to do more than just pay out billions and hope everyone shows up at the last minute 
. It's like the government is just closing the door on them now when there are still so many new claims coming in every month 
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. The government needs to do better than this 
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. Something needs to change here 
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I'm getting worried about all these subpostmasters who could miss out on compensation... like, what's the point of a deadline if they're not even aware? 
I wish they would extend the deadline or at least do more to inform people about the closure date. It's just not right that so many could be left behind... 
The Horizon scandal was a total disaster, and it's not fair that some people are still missing out on justice. The government has paid out billions already, but there are still so many claimants who haven't received what they're owed.
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they've been through so much already and now this deadline is going to leave some of them high and dry... like, what's the point of a £75k payment if you can't even get in on time? it's just not right 