Jo Hamilton, one of the sub-postmasters affected by the Post Office IT scandal, used her platform at the National Television Awards (NTA) to call for renewed public support for those still awaiting compensation.
Speaking alongside fellow sub-postmasters and the cast and crew of the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Hamilton accepted the Impact Award, which recognised the real-world effects of the show that brought widespread attention to the scandal.
Despite the government’s promises, Hamilton expressed frustration with the lack of progress in securing full compensation for the victims.
“What I want you to know is that I went to Westminster a couple of weeks back and saw the new minister. And trust me, nothing has changed,” she told the audience at the O2 arena in London, drawing boos from the crowd aimed at those in power.
Hamilton revealed that over 300 of the 555 sub-postmasters who won a landmark civil case in 2019, including campaign leader Sir Alan Bates, have yet to receive their full compensation. "He has a plan," she said, “when he comes back to the nation for help, please be there to support him."
The compensation scheme for litigant postmasters, launched under the previous Conservative government, offers a fixed payment of £75,000, but many victims have rejected it, pushing for higher sums. As of 30 August, £87m has been paid under the scheme, including interim payments.
On 9 September, Labour announced a new scheme which has a target of making an offer to 90 per cent of sub-postmasters who have submitted a full claim within 40 days.
Responding to Hamilton’s speech, a Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said: “We recognise the immeasurable suffering postmasters have endured and that they have waited too long to receive redress.
“That's why we are working tirelessly across government to bring them some relief with full, fair and swift redress.”
The government has Monday announced a new independent appeals process for postmasters in the Horizon Shortfall Scheme. To date, 2,280 individuals have reached an agreement with the Post Office to settle their claim under the scheme, with £144m in compensation paid out,.
As of 30 August 2024, approximately £289m has been paid to over 2,800 Horizon claimants across four schemes.
At the Awards, Toby Jones, who played Alan Bates in the drama, won the Drama Performance title, while the show took home the award for New Drama.
