Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Post Office scandal: Government to consider inclusion of family members in compensation

Post Office scandal: Government to consider inclusion of family members in compensation

Family members and employees of post office branch owners who were not considered eligible to make claims over the Horizon IT scandal may be allowed to apply for compensation, postal minister Gareth Thomas told the inquiry into the scandal on Friday (8).

During the hearing, Thomas stated that the government has been looking into the “gaps” in the eligibility criteria for those wanting to make claims under the four redress schemes being administered by the Post Office and the government.


“[Employees and counter assistants] are one of the gaps in the compensation process,” said Thomas. “We are actively looking at what we can do to address those gaps. As indeed we are looking at family members affected very badly by the Horizon scandal and cannot claim compensation either. It was one of those issues identified as being very significant.”

The current schemes exclude applications from family members and assistants at branches because only the person with a direct contract with the Post Office is eligible to apply as managers and counter assistants at branches have a contract with the owner-operator, not the Post Office. And while many branches are run by family teams, not all members have the contract with the Post Office.

Thomas also said that if claimants to the existing schemes can file by Christmas he is confident that payouts can be made by the end of March, the unofficial deadline sought by the leading campaigner Sir Alan Bates.

“Officials have been talking to claimants’ lawyers and looking at potential timings of those claims coming in,” he said. “If claims come in by Christmas we will be able to have made offers of paid financial redress by the end of March.”

Thomas however stressed that no date has been set for a deadline for final applications to be received.

Thomas also said that the government intends to publish a green paper next year to get nationwide views on the future governance options for the Post Office including the ownership of the 11,500 branches. He added that former minister Kevin Hollinrake held “constructive” talks with Post Office workers about ultimately transferring ownership through mutualisation.

“It is difficult to be anything other than concerned about culture in the Post Office,” Thomas said on Friday (8). “There has been some early conversations with stakeholders … about how to change that governance and also look at improvements to culture going forward. We are thinking we will publish a green paper next year to invite wider views about the future of the Post Office.”

More for you

Strike action causes shortage of Greek meze staple

iStock image

Strike action causes shortage of Greek meze staple

Industrial action at Bakkavor, a large supplier of the fish roe dip, has caused a “short disruption” to the supply and availability of taramasalata at supermarkets across the country, recent reports state today (12).

Employees at Bakkavor’s Spalding site in the Midlands launched strike action about six weeks ago over pay. Tubs of own-brand taramasalata were out of stock online at Waitrose, Sainbury’s and Tesco, the UK’s largest grocer. The Marks & Spencer dip was also unavailable at Ocado online.

Keep ReadingShow less
Müller Yogurt & Desserts promotes Talar El Asswad as strategy and marketing director

Talar El Asswad

Müller Yogurt & Desserts promotes Talar El Asswad as strategy and marketing director

Müller Yogurt & Desserts has announced the appointment of Talar El Asswad, currently serving as marketing lead – treat and desserts, as its new strategy and marketing director.

With over 20 years’ experience within FMCG marketing, the internal appointment signals Müller’s continued focus on strengthening its core brands and driving innovation, to unlock incremental category growth and put a smile on the nation’s face.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Cash payment option key for customer satisfaction'

iStockphoto

'Cash payment option key for customer satisfaction'

A vast majority of consumers still feel cash is their most widely used payment method while most consumers carry cash in case of an emergency, shows a recent survey.

According to "Why Won’t Cash Just Die?!!", a new research report from PayComplete, surveying 5,000 consumers from the UK, US, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, 89 per cent of consumers surveyed consider the ability to pay in cash as important for their customer satisfaction. 90 per cent of consumers surveyed said that cash is their most widely used payment method

Keep ReadingShow less
iStock 1091723364
iStock image
iStock image

Diets present 'highest say-do gap'

There exists a huge gap between public's intention and actions when it comes to health and wellness with cost being a major deciding factor, shows a recent report, also highlighting a shift in how people structure their meals and attitudes towards global mental and physical health.

Kantar's Who Cares Who Does: Decoding Wellness further adds thatwhile 62 per cent see processed food as harmful, only 37 per cent actively avoid it. It’s a similar pattern for sugary drinks: 73 per cent see them as harmful, but fewer than half (48 per cent) are cutting back on products high in sugar.

Keep ReadingShow less
Diageo GB looks to boost premium segment with new Diageo Luxury Company

Diageo GB looks to boost premium segment with new Diageo Luxury Company


Diageo Great Britain has on Tuesday launched the Diageo Luxury Company, a new division dedicated to transforming Diageo’s performance in the luxury beverage sector in its home market.

Keep ReadingShow less