-
Chancellor Rishi Sunak launches new government compensation scheme for postmasters who have played crucial role in the discovery of the Horizon IT scandal
-
Schema will ensure that postmasters who were the first to take legal action against the post office over the shortcomings of its Horizon IT computer system will be fully and fairly compensated.
-
After winning the Landmark case, the group received only a fraction of the £ 43 million payout due to a No Win, No Fee agreement with their process finance firm
Rishi Sunak said a new compensation scheme will be set up in the coming months, targeting the postmen who brought the Landmark High Court case against the Post Office over the errors and won. The 2019 ruling paved the way for millions of pounds worth of future payouts and led the Court of Appeal to overturn the convictions of postmen who were wrongly accused of committing crimes.
Despite winning nearly £ 43 million in compensation in 2019, the group was financially disadvantaged after having to pay significant legal costs based on a “no win, no fee” agreement with Therium – the company that financed their lawsuit. Due to the terms of their statutory agreement, each postmaster received a small portion of the settlement – equivalent to about £ 20,000 each.
Their action means they were also not entitled to apply to the historic shortfall scheme (HSS) set up by the post office after the scandal to compensate postmen who have to cover personal deficiencies in the accounts of their industry, caused by Horizon IT.
The new scheme will ensure that those who have discovered the injustice receive the same level of compensation as the postmasters who claim through the HSS.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
Even if it can not take away the years of hardship, postmasters who have suffered terribly over the Post Office Horizon scandal deserve to be fairly compensated.
Therefore, we will be introducing a new compensation scheme for those who have led the significant lawsuit over the errors and won so that they get their fair share.
We will continue to stand by the postmasters and their families.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said:
The Horizon IT dispute has had a devastating impact on postmasters and their families, with many losing their living conditions or being wrongly convicted of crimes they did not commit.
Without the efforts of these postmasters, this terrible injustice may never have been exposed, so it is only right that they should be fully and justly compensated.
That is why we have set up the new compensation scheme for those who have played a crucial role in bringing to light this scandal, which I hope will provide a measure of comfort.
Post Secretary Paul Scully said:
The pain and distress that the horizon scandal has caused hundreds of postmen over the years cannot be overstated.
Without the efforts of the 555 pioneer postmasters who brought this to justice, this injustice might never have come to light and even the legal investigation set up, so I made it my priority to compensate everyone fairly. ginn.
Even if we can not correct the injustices of the past, I hope this important compensation package is a turning point, as we will continue to work with the Post Office to ensure that such a thing can never happen again.
The scheme comes after the government announced a separate scheme last year to provide funding for full and final settlements for eligible postmasters who have reversed their horizon-related convictions, with those eligible receiving an interim payment of up to £ 100,000 to get all.
More details of the new scheme, including how postmasters can file compensation claims, will be determined by the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy in due course.
Add Comment