Thousands of Subpostmasters facing financial ruin as Post Office closes main Horizon compensation scheme.
In a devastating blow to those affected by the Horizon IT scandal, the Post Office is set to close its largest compensation scheme this weekend, leaving many without access to vital support. The Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), which has received over 9,500 applications, will cease accepting new claims at midnight on Saturday.
Under the scheme, subpostmasters who have suffered losses due to the faulty IT system can claim a fixed £75,000 or pursue a higher amount. However, despite efforts by the Post Office to promote awareness of the closure date, hundreds of applications continue to arrive each month - 357 between November and December alone.
This raises concerns that many eligible individuals will miss out on compensation due to an arbitrarily imposed deadline, with experts warning that "the number could conceivably amount to several thousands of individuals". Lawyers are now preparing applications to meet the current deadline, highlighting a worrying lack of transparency from the Post Office.
The Horizon scandal led to the wrongful prosecution of over 3,500 subpostmasters, with many facing financial ruin and emotional distress. The UK government has paid out billions of pounds in compensation so far, but critics argue that this is only a fraction of the losses suffered by those affected.
"The scheme's closure will undoubtedly cause further hardship for many who are already struggling," said Matthew Haddow, partner at Menzies LLP. "The true value of their losses goes far beyond just making good a shortfall - it's about the impact on family, friends and trust."
As the deadline looms, critics are urging the Post Office to provide more clarity on its decision-making process and to disclose how many subpostmasters may be affected by the closure date. With 300 or more new claims still emerging each month, it appears that the deadline is unlikely to catch everyone.
In a devastating blow to those affected by the Horizon IT scandal, the Post Office is set to close its largest compensation scheme this weekend, leaving many without access to vital support. The Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), which has received over 9,500 applications, will cease accepting new claims at midnight on Saturday.
Under the scheme, subpostmasters who have suffered losses due to the faulty IT system can claim a fixed £75,000 or pursue a higher amount. However, despite efforts by the Post Office to promote awareness of the closure date, hundreds of applications continue to arrive each month - 357 between November and December alone.
This raises concerns that many eligible individuals will miss out on compensation due to an arbitrarily imposed deadline, with experts warning that "the number could conceivably amount to several thousands of individuals". Lawyers are now preparing applications to meet the current deadline, highlighting a worrying lack of transparency from the Post Office.
The Horizon scandal led to the wrongful prosecution of over 3,500 subpostmasters, with many facing financial ruin and emotional distress. The UK government has paid out billions of pounds in compensation so far, but critics argue that this is only a fraction of the losses suffered by those affected.
"The scheme's closure will undoubtedly cause further hardship for many who are already struggling," said Matthew Haddow, partner at Menzies LLP. "The true value of their losses goes far beyond just making good a shortfall - it's about the impact on family, friends and trust."
As the deadline looms, critics are urging the Post Office to provide more clarity on its decision-making process and to disclose how many subpostmasters may be affected by the closure date. With 300 or more new claims still emerging each month, it appears that the deadline is unlikely to catch everyone.
. They've been through hell with the Horizon scandal and now the Post Office is just gonna leave 'em high and dry 
. I mean, £75,000 might seem like a lot, but for people who are struggling to make ends meet, that's still not enough 
. And what about those who don't even know they're eligible for compensation? It's just not fair 
. The Post Office needs to do better than just leaving this deadline out of the blue 
. I wish more people would be talking about this and putting pressure on them to change their minds 
. It's like they're gonna get away with this 
.
I MEAN, THOSE 3,500 WRONGFULLY PROSECUTED SUBPOSTMASTERS ALREADY HAD TO GO THROUGH ENOUGH EMOTIONAL DISTRESS. ADDING A DEADLINE FOR CLAIMS IS JUST PUTTING ANOTHER BURDEN ON THEM. THE POST OFFICE SHOULD BE GIVING THESE PEOPLE MORE SUPPORT AND CLARITY, NOT LEAVING THEM IN THE Lurch LIKE THIS! 
thats so unfair they should at least give them a heads up on when its going to happen so ppl can make plans like how r they even supposed to know theres a deadline 2 claim?? & what about all these new ppl still comin thru every month its crazy i cant even imagine havin2 deal with this stuff u got family or friends affected by horizon??
. And now they're left with this arbitrary deadline? It's like, hello! How can anyone expect subpostmasters to plan their finances based on a closing date that keeps getting pushed back?