Postmasters have been terribly impacted by the issues with the Post Office’s Horizon IT system that began over 20 years ago, with many wrongfully convicted (now overturned) or bankrupted by the scandal.
I was grateful to hear from Minister for Small Business, Paul Scully MP, that the Government are providing an interim payment to the postmasters who were not already covered by other compensation support, totalling £19.5 million.
Together with the share of the December 2019 settlement, which we understand was distributed to the GLO postmasters, that brings the total level of compensation to around £30 million. Postmasters will be contacted in the coming weeks to submit an application, and the Government aim to distribute funds within a few weeks of receiving that application.
I hope that will go some way towards helping many postmasters who have faced and still are facing hardships. There is an independent inquiry taking place to determine the source of the scandal at the Post Office and at their supplier, Fujitsu.