Post Office scandal: Government didn't want victims to feel harassed

According to MPs on the Public Accounts Committee, victims of the Post Office scandal have not been actively pursued to claim compensation due to fears of harassment. The government was concerned that individuals who had not yet sought redress would feel pressured if officials chased them to apply. The committee found that many wrongly-accused or convicted sub-postmasters had yet to receive fair and timely compensation, stating that insufficient action had been taken to ensure eligible individuals had applied for compensation. The Department for Business and Trade reported paying out over £1bn in compensation to date.

The government revealed that there were no current plans to follow up with individuals eligible for compensation, as only one in five letters sent to sub-postmasters about restitution received a response. Concerns were raised about potential delays in settlements if letters without replies were not followed up. Chris Head, a former Post Office operator, expressed discontent with the existing compensation processes, highlighting the disparities in payments that various victims were receiving and questioning the effectiveness of the current system.

Four main schemes are available for sub-postmasters to apply for compensation, with eligibility depending on individual circumstances. Between 1999 and 2015, over 900 sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted due to the faulty Horizon IT system, leading to financial ruin and, in some cases, imprisonment. Despite government promises to expedite payouts, many victims are still awaiting financial redress. The scandal has been dubbed the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history, emphasizing the urgency for timely compensation for affected individuals.

The Public Accounts Committee report, based on a period preceding last year’s election, highlighted the slow progress in compensating victims of the Post Office scandal. It outlined issues such as the lack of follow-up with potential claimants, delays in the compensation process, and the government’s insufficient efforts to track down eligible individuals who have not yet applied for redress. The committee urged the government to ensure all postmasters were fully informed of their options for claiming compensation and recommended increased diligence in expediting the process. The final report on the Post Office scandal is set to be published on 8 July

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