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

Britvic growth in annual revenue and profits

Strong numbers for Britvic

Britvic, the soft drinks manufacturer set to be acquired by Carlsberg, has posted robust annual results after investment in marketing and product innovation helped it maintain demand for its brands.

Over the year to Sept 30, the company’s pre-tax profits climbed 10.5 per cent to £173.2 million despite a £21.3m hit related to the proposed Carlsberg deal. Britvic stated that its growth was driven by both volume and price-mix, with strong demand for brands such as Pepsi, Tango, Lipton, MiWadi and Ballygowan.

Keep ReadingShow less
Met Police identifies four suspects in Post Office Horizon scandal

Met Police identifies four suspects in Post Office Horizon scandal

The Metropolitan Police has identified two new suspects in its investigation into possible criminal offences as part of the Post Office Horizon scandal. This takes the total number of individuals to four as the force also revealed it believes more suspects will be identified as the inquiry progresses.

Scotland Yard said members of the investigation team met with Sir Alan Bates, the leading Post Office campaigner, and fellow victims to update them on the development.

Keep ReadingShow less
Discover Britain's top hotspots for independent shops

(Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

Discover Britain's top hotspots for independent shops

New research by American Express Shop Small reveals the nation’s top 10 hotspots for independent shops, showcasing the small businesses and the valuable role they plan in their local communities.

American Express partnered with retail experts GlobalData to identify the top high streets for independent shops through ranking factors such as the number of independent outlets, variety of business types, and vibrancy of the high street.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Walkable high streets boost economy'
(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Getty Images

'Walkable high streets boost economy'

Shoppers who walk and wheel spend more than those arriving by car, states a recent report, demonstrating the significant economic and social benefits of investing in walkable town centres, challenging traditional views on urban accessibility.

The findings published in third edition of "The Pedestrian Pound Report", recently published by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, come at a critical juncture for British high streets, with a record number of retail failures in 2022 and a vacancy rate of nearly one in seven by the end of 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
Yvette Cooper

Home secretary Yvette Cooper speaking at the annual conference hosted by the NPCC and APCC on 19 November 2024

Photo: GOV.UK

Home secretary pledges to restore neighbourhood policing

Home secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to rebuild neighbourhood policing and combat surging shop theft as part of an ambitious programme of reform to policing.

In her first major speech at the annual conference hosted by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners on Tuesday, Cooper highlighted four of the key areas for reform: neighbourhood policing, police performance, structures and capabilities, crime prevention.

Keep ReadingShow less