Westcotes postmaster, Hemandra Hindocha, has been recognised by the King for services to his Leicester community and other postmasters.
Better known as “H” by customers, he has been at the heart of his Westcotes community for nearly 38 years after initially starting his postmaster career in Northampton, for five years.
The long-serving postmaster, who has served people in the Midlands for 43 years, has been awarded a British Empire Medal for the important difference he has made, including starting a support group for postmasters in the Midlands.
“H” was born in Uganda and had gone to university in India when his family had to flee Uganda in 1972 under Idi Amin’s rule. When he gained his degree in accountancy, he joined his family in the UK in 1973. His first postmaster role was at Northampton’s Regent Square Post Office until he moved to a bigger branch at Westcotes in 1988.
Soon after he set up a support group for postmasters in Midlands to help new or less experienced postmaster or those needing help to share knowledge and advice. It was also a social group for business people running Post Offices. Hemandra then also went on to Executive Office for Midlands for the National Federation of Subpostmasters.
Hemandra Hindocha and wife Kirti
“H” and his wife, Kirti, along with staff managed to keep Westcotes Post Office open throughout the pandemic to maintain vital services to the community.
He notched up 40 years’ service in 2021, and as soon as pandemic restrictions allowed he celebrate his achievement with a special Indian meal with 45 local postmasters and Post Office colleagues.
The 73-year-old has always considered the role of a being a postmaster as a “prestigious position” and maintains that it has been an honour to work for the Post Office.
“I was surprised and delighted to find out I had been named in the New Years’ Honour list. I still love coming to work every day, even on my days off,” Hindocha, said.
“I especially enjoy the rapport with my customers and understand the importance of building good relationships with them – they are like extended family. I have got to know several generations of the same family. People I served in my early days, many now have children and grandchildren.
Hemandra Hindocha and wife Kirti
Post Office area manager Ezra Nadasen said: “We want to sincerely thank “H” for running Westcotes Post Office for nearly 38 years and a branch in Northampton before that. He is a first-class postmaster who really cares about the community that he serves and also goes above and beyond for other postmasters, especially those who are new to the role or need advice. He is also held in high regards by other postmasters.”
Commons Business and Trade Committee has called for legally binding timeframes on Government at each stage of processing claims under the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme, backed by financial penalties awarded to the claimant if the deadlines are missed.
As mentioned in the report titled "Post Office and Horizon scandal redress: Unfinished business" released by Commons Business and Trade Committee on Wednesday (1), just £499 million of the £1.8 billion set aside for financial redress has been paid out across the four redress schemes, with 72 per cent of the budget for redress still not paid.
In the case of the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, 14 per cent of those who applied before the original 2020 deadline have still not settled their claims.
The Committee found that the “schemes are so poorly designed that the application process is akin to a second trial for victims” with an excessive burden placed on claimants to answer complex requests for information about their losses in the scandal, and delays processing those requests and disclosures back from the Post Office.
On the scheme administrators’ side, legal advice has been extensive and costly. To date, Post Office Ltd has spent £136 million on legal fees relating to the redress schemes, including £82 million to just one firm, Herbert Smith Freehills, for services including their legal advice on the HSS and Overturned Convictions Scheme.
Victims however have been offered no legal advice up-front in submitting their claims, despite being required to grapple complex legal concepts about the amount of redress they were owed.
The committee also mentioned that many years had passed and the victims no longer had access to the financial records of where Horizon’s systemic errors had occurred. The Committee says it is “imperative” now that claimants are offered legal advice up front, at no cost to themselves but paid for by the scheme administrators.
Chair of the BTC Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP said, “Years on from the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history, thousands of Post Office Horizon victims still don’t have the redress to which they’re entitled for the shatter and ruin of their lives.
“Ours is a nation that believes in fair play and the rule of law. Yet victims told us that seeking the redress to which they’re entitled is akin to a second trial. Payments are so slow that people are dying before they get justice. But the lawyers are walking away with millions.
“This is quite simply, wrong, wrong, wrong.
"The government has made important steps forward. Almost half a billion pounds of redress payments are now out the door, the budget has gone up to being fully funded and the Post Office was ordered to write to everyone who might be owed something for what happened to them.
“But we can’t go on like this. Justice delayed is justice denied. So today, we’re setting out a practical, common-sense plan to reboot the redress system.
“Victims should have upfront legal advice to help make sure they get what’s fair. We need hard deadlines for government lawyers to approve the claims with financial penalties for taking too long. Crucially, we need the Post Office, which caused this scandal in the first place, taken out of the picture.”
The Committee calls on Government to remove the Post Office from administering any of the redress schemes and to introduce binding timeframes for scheme administrators at each individual stage of each scheme, with financial penalties passed on to the claimant if these deadlines are not met.
The MPs have also asked the Government to appoint an independent adjudicator for each scheme and empower them to provide directions and case management to ensure claimants move through the process swiftly.
The Government is also called on to provide clear, strong instructions to taxpayer-funded lawyers to maximise the speed of redress, eliminate legal delays, enhance the benefit of doubt given to claimants, and publish the costs spent on lawyers for the public and Parliament to see.
Over £3.7 million in cash was withdrawn or deposited over the counter at 1,300 Post Office branches that were open on Christmas Day, the firm revealed on Monday.
Based on trends for this December and expectation that News Year’s Eve is not a wash-out, the Post Office predicts total cash withdrawals over the counter (personal and business) for December could exceed £1 billion for the first time ever.
Last December, a then record £963 million was withdrawn over the counter (£930 million personal cash withdrawals and £32.8 million business cash withdrawals).
On Christmas Day, just over £1 million was withdrawn and almost £1.5 million was deposited by personal customers over the counter. In addition, over £1.2 million was deposited by business customers.
In total over £3.7 million in cash was deposited and withdrawn on Christmas Day. This compares to £3 million on Christmas Day 2023.
The biggest day for personal cash withdrawals this December was Monday 23 December when £61.2 million was withdrawn over the counter. This fell just short of the all-time record which was Friday 22 December 2023 when personal customers withdrew £62.4 million.
“Millions of people rely on being able to access cash every day at their local Post Office and it’s no different on Christmas Day,” Ross Borkett, Post Office banking director, said.
“Record breaking amounts of cash being withdrawn this month will come as no surprise to postmasters and their teams who have worked flat out this month ensuring their local customers have been able do their everyday banking at this critical time of year.
“Business cash deposits being made on Christmas Day indicate just how vital it is that pub, cafe and restaurant owners have somewhere open and convenient to deposit their much-needed Christmas cash takings ahead of a quieter January.”
On Christmas Day itself, just over 1,300 branches, predominantly operated by independent postmasters and located in convenience stores, served customers. Post Office has 11,500 branches across the UK and typically has around 4,000 branches open on weekends.
In response to the mounting pressures faced by postmasters across the UK, the Post Office has unveiled a centralised wellbeing platform aimed at simplifying access to support resources.
Post Office said the surge in shoplifting and violent incidents, documented in the 2024 ACS Crime Report, has only intensified the demand for comprehensive support.
With shoplifting on the rise year-on-year since 2021, and the Christmas trading period presenting heightened risks due to increased footfall and stock levels, the wellbeing of postmasters has become a pressing concern.
The new wellbeing platform, accessible via the Branch Hub app, provides a single point of access to a range of resources designed to meet Postmasters' immediate and ongoing needs. It is divided into three sections:
‘I Need Help Right Now’: Offers urgent support, including access to emergency services, mental health first aiders, , area and business support managers and organisations like Samaritans.
‘More Support and Guidance’: Provides practical tools such as security advice, social media abuse resources, and connections to organisations like Citizens Advice and Mind.
‘Access Community Support’: Encourages peer connections through WhatsApp and Facebook groups, as well as in-person meetings.
The initiative, a collaboration between the Post Office, the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters (NFSP), and Voice of the Postmaster, underscores a shift towards a more cooperative approach between historically independent groups, and creates a shared wellbeing network that is accessible to all postmasters, regardless of affiliation.
Mark Eldridge, postmaster experience director at Post Office, said the initiative will ensure that anyone who needs help can find it quickly and easily.
“It’s about creating a culture of care and resilience in the face of the challenges our postmasters face every day. If the initiative means helping just one postmaster, then we have done our job successfully,” Eldridge added.
Tony Fleming, postmaster at Thorne Post Office, shared how the initiative provided vital support following a traumatic armed robbery at his branch.
“It was incredibly difficult for the person faced with this violent threat, as well as the wider team. It’s a traumatic experience to go through as part of your day job and having the immediate support of the Wellbeing resource was invaluable – it really was wellbeing personified and gave me and everyone in the branch the support to get back to doing what we do best, serving our fantastic community in Thorne,” Fleming said.
Paul Patel, a Hampshire-based postmaster, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the platform’s ability to combat isolation and foster collaboration:
“It has been a difficult time for all postmasters who continue to serve their communities every day often feeling alone in their daily work life. It’s such a privilege to collaborate across the network to support Postmasters wellbeing from forming friendships to guiding for more professional support.”
Christine Donnelly of the NFSP highlighted the initiative’s accessibility and symbolic value.
“From a postmaster perspective this works on several levels. It is an easily accessible resource that offers advice and facts, but it also says by implication that we care, that participants from different areas of the business recognised a need and worked together to make it the best it could be,” Donnelly noted.
“It says you are not alone or the only one - how can you be if there is a whole site available?”
The Post Office plans to evolve the platform based on postmaster feedback, ensuring it remains relevant to emerging challenges.
Earlier this week, Post Office has announced a £20 million boost for postmasters to address their concerns that their income has not kept up with inflation over the past decade.
Both independent postmasters and Post Office’s retail partners that operate branches on its behalf will receive the top-up payment ahead of Christmas. The top-up payment will be based on both the standard fixed and variable remuneration the branch received in November.
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A screengrab of Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry chair Sir Wyn Williams during the final day of hearing
After three years of gathering evidence and hearing harrowing testimonies, the public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal has officially closed its hearing. The final day of closing statements took place on Tuesday (17 December), marking a significant milestone in the fight for justice for hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly accused of theft and false accounting.
The inquiry, chaired by retired high court judge Sir Wyn Williams, was established in non-statutory form on 29 September 2020 to investigate the failings of the Horizon IT system, developed by Fujitsu, which led to widespread discrepancies in Post Office branch accounts.
These discrepancies resulted in the wrongful prosecution and conviction of numerous sub-postmasters between 1999 and 2015, devastating lives and reputations.
It was converted to a statutory inquiry on 1 June 2021 and started preliminary hearing on 8 November 2021.
Over the past three years, the inquiry has heard from a wide range of witnesses, including former sub-postmasters, Post Office executives, Fujitsu employees, and government officials. The evidence presented painted a disturbing picture of a flawed IT system, a culture of denial within the Post Office, and a failure to adequately investigate the concerns raised by sub-postmasters.
“[This] is an Inquiry that is about people: about people whose mental and physical health has been impacted; about people whose marriages and partnerships have deteriorated and failed; about people who thought about taking their own lives; and, in some cases, who took their own lives,” Jason Beer KC, counsel to the inquiry, said at the start of closing submissions on Monday.
“We have disclosed 270,785 documents to the core participants in the inquiry … I am reliably informed that the page count for that disclosure is 2,214,858 pages. We have presently obtained 780 statements (including disclosure statements)... We have heard oral evidence from 298 witnesses, including a wide range of expert evidence.”
The inquiry has published a video outlining its journey so far, including key moments throughout its seven phases of investigationwww.youtube.com
The last day of the inquiry has heard from lawyers representing the Post Office, Fujitsu, and the Department for Business and Trade as well as the legal representatives for former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells and Gareth Jenkins, the former Fujitsu engineer.
On Monday, lawyers acting for sub-postmasters told the inquiry the Post Office's “cruel” and “malignant culture” had “destroyed the innocent”.
Following the conclusion of oral evidence, the inquiry has published written closing submissions received from core participants to the inquiry. As part of the its continued investigation, the inquiry has published 53 further witness statements from former sub-postmasters, Post Office senior executives, and current and former government ministers. This includes 27 statements from the inquiry’s Human Impact phase, where Sir Wyn heard evidence from people affected by the Post Office scandal on how it had impacted their lives.
With the inquiry now concluded, Sir Wyn will continue gathering and analysing evidence, drafting the final report. The inquiry will also begin a process known as Maxwellisation, giving anyone who it is proposed significantly or explicitly to criticise in the report a reasonable opportunity to respond.
The inquiry report is expected to provide a comprehensive account of the scandal, identify those responsible, and make recommendations to prevent similar injustices from happening again.
The government has on Tuesday officially recognised Capture, the software which preceded Horizon, could have created shortfalls affecting postmasters.
It has asked the Post Office to urgently review its files and evidence so the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) and the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) can ensure no one was wrongfully convicted of a Horizon-style injustice.
Responding to the independent Kroll report into the software, the business secretary has promised to provide redress for postmasters who suffered losses as a result of Capture. The government said it will work swiftly with victims to determine its form and scope, alongside eligibility criteria, by Spring 2025.
The Capture accounting system was rolled out across some Post Office branches from 1992 before it was replaced by Horizon in 1999. The government commissioned the independent report following postmasters coming forward publicly in January indicating they had faced detriment due to the Capture system. In its report, Kroll concluded Capture could have created shortfalls.
The response comes as the government marks £500 million paid to more than 3,300 Horizon victims.
“It is thanks to testimony of postmasters that this has been brought to light and failings have been discovered,” business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds said.
“We must now work quickly to provide redress and justice to those who have suffered greatly after being wrongly accused. I’d like to encourage anyone who believes they have been affected by Capture to share their story with us so we can put wrongs to right once and for all.”
Post office minister Gareth Thomas added: “It’s taken a long time to reach this point which is why my priority now is to deliver justice and redress to postmasters as swiftly as possible. We will do everything we can to correct the mistakes of the past and ensure they are not repeated.
“Postmasters have raised concerns with me that their income has not kept up with inflation over the past decade. The government therefore welcomes that the Post Office is going to make a one-off payment to postmasters to increase their remuneration.”
Due to the length of time which has passed since the Capture system was in use several issues have complicated the investigation including:
Far greater timescales, meaning a greater population of the users may have sadly died
Loss or destruction of relevant evidence for example relating to shortfalls, suspensions, terminations, prosecutions, and convictions
At least 19 different operational versions of the Capture software during the period
Ambiguous number of users during this period
Unlike Horizon, it is currently uncertain how many criminal prosecutions were based on Capture evidence. These challenges also mean it will be difficult for claimants to corroborate their claims with evidence.
The Post Office has indicated it holds further information on convictions and prosecutions during the Capture period. The government has asked them to carry out their review of these records urgently and send information to the CCRC and SCCRC.
£20 million boost to postmasters
Minister Thomas has also announced the government will support the Post Office network with a further £37.5 million subsidy. It comes as the Post Office today announced a £20 million boost for postmasters to address their concerns that their income has not kept up with inflation over the past decade.
“This government is committed to strengthening the Post Office and making sure postmasters receive the income they deserve for the vital services they provide for communities across the country,” Thomas said.
“That’s why we are providing a further £37.5 million of network subsidy this financial year which is essential to stabilise the organisation. I welcome the Post Office’s one-off payment this month to postmasters, which will go a long way in easing the burden they face ahead of Christmas.”
The £20 million boost to postmaster remuneration comes as the Post Office moves quickly to deliver on its ‘New Deal for Postmasters’ following its Transformation Plan announcement on 13 November.
Both independent postmasters and Post Office’s retail partners that operate branches on its behalf will receive the top-up payment ahead of Christmas. The top-up payment will be based on both the standard fixed and variable remuneration the branch received in November.
“As we implement our ‘New Deal for Postmasters’ we are fast-tracking payments to postmasters in recognition of the challenging trading conditions they are currently experiencing. Our customers want services in the run-up to Christmas that are convenient and in-person, and that’s what our postmasters and retail partners offer. We want our postmasters to focus on what they do best, serving their communities, and not to be worried about making ends meet,” Neil Brocklehurst, Post Office acting chief executive, said.
Calum Greenhow, chief executive for the National Federation of SubPostmasters, welcomed the announcement.
“The NFSP has long campaigned for a significant increase in postmasters’ remuneration to reflect the value of the vital public services that postmasters deliver to communities. We know that right now many of our postmasters are struggling and are very worried about their ability to pay bills and provide for their families,” Greenhow said.
“This £20m as a one-off payment in December is not only well timed but very much required. We look forward to working with the government and Post Office to deliver a further £100m uplift in annual remuneration by March 2026.”
Subject to the government funding, the Post Office’s Transformation Plan provides a route to adding an additional quarter of a billion pounds annually to total postmaster remuneration by 2030 by dramatically increasing postmasters’ share of revenues.
As part of the plan, postmasters can expect up to £120m in additional remuneration by the end of the first year of the Plan, representing a 30 per cent increase in revenue share. The ambition is to double average annual branch remuneration by 2030 with the right market and regulatory landscape.