Committee publication · Correspondence · 9 June 2026
Letter from the Post Office relating to the Committee's report on Post Office Horizon scandal redress, 26 May 2026
From: Business and Trade Committee
Inquiry: Post Office Horizon scandal: Justice for sub-postmasters
Summary
Post Office Limited responds to the Business and Trade Committee's report on Horizon scandal redress. Chair Nigel Railton reports £1.03 billion paid to 11,785 claimants and defends continued Post Office administration of remaining Horizon Shortfall Scheme cases. The letter addresses committee concerns on legal advice provision, trauma support, archival record reviews, and pre-Horizon convictions, while emphasising improvements in claim processing timelines.
Key findings
- Post Office has paid over £1.03 billion to 11,785 claimants, including £943 million through the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, as of 30 April 2026.
- Post Office rejects transfer of complex Horizon Shortfall Scheme cases out of the organisation, citing improved treatment within the scheme and alignment with Sir Wyn Williams's inquiry recommendations.
- Post Office commits to substantially completing fixed-sum offer cases by end of summer 2026, with more complex fully assessed cases extending toward year-end.
- Post Office defends legal advice provision occurring after Independent Panel recommendations, stating applicants can dispute claims through existing dispute resolution procedures.
- Post Office acknowledges no judicial scrutiny of Capture software has occurred; legislation to overturn pre-Horizon Capture-related convictions is a matter for Parliament, not Post Office.
- Restorative Justice Council's independent national programme for those harmed by Horizon and Capture launched in May 2026, funded for five years jointly by Department, Fujitsu, and Post Office.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Nigel Railton, Post Office Limited, Business and Trade Committee, Liam Byrne MP, Department for Business and Trade, Sir Wyn Williams, Restorative Justice Council, Ministry of Justice
Notable line
“Postmasters deserve to have their claims properly considered and we, and the Independent Panel, are committed to the promises we have made to provide full and fair redress to applicants.”
Key Quotes
“According to the most recent official data as of 30 April 2026, Post Office has now paid over 11,785 claimants £1.03 billion in redress across the schemes we administer, including £943 million paid through the Horizon Shortfall Scheme.”
“… whilst recommendations for fully assessed HSS claims are made by a panel of experts independent of Post Office, the resolution of these issues would have been best handled outside of Post Office.”
“Postmasters deserve to have their claims properly considered and we, and the Independent Panel, are committed to the promises we have made to provide full and fair redress to applicants.”
“No case involving the Capture software has been heard by the CACD yet and so there has been no judicial scrutiny of the Capture software and/or the Post Office's use of Capture data in Page 4 of 4 postoffice.co.uk prosecutions carried out by Post …”
“… the introduction of further legislation to overturn qualifying Capture convictions is a question for Parliament and Government.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗