Committee publication · Correspondence · 25 March 2026
Letter from the Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation relating to Horizon Family Members Redress Scheme, 19 March 2026
From: Business and Trade Committee
Inquiry: Post Office Horizon scandal: Justice for sub-postmasters
Summary
Minister Blair McDougall updates the Business and Trade Committee on the Post Office Horizon Family Members Redress Scheme, announced July 2025. The scheme, building on £1.475 billion already paid to postmasters, will compensate family members for personal injuries and specific harms suffered during the scandal. A summer 2026 launch is planned, with further refinement ongoing.
Key findings
- Scheme builds on £1.475 billion compensation already paid to postmasters affected by the Horizon scandal
- Will recognise family members' experiences and compensate for personal injuries they received, distinct from existing postmaster compensation schemes
- Scheme runs alongside existing Horizon compensation schemes offering redress for losses impacting both postmasters and families
- Minister still reviewing the Business and Trade Committee's report of 13 March 2026 and will respond in due course
- Summer 2026 launch targeted, with ongoing engagement with interested parties including Lost Chances (representing children of affected postmasters)
Tone
ProceduralTopics
public-financecompensation-schemespost-office-scandal
Key actors
Blair McDougall MP, Liam Byrne MP, Post Office, Lost Chances, Department for Business and Trade
Notable line
“This scheme will additionally recognise the specific experiences of family members and compensate them for any personal injuries they received.”
Key Quotes
“The scheme builds on the £1.475 billion compensation already paid out to postmasters and recognises that the scandal's devastating consequences were felt not just by those running post offices, but by those closest to them.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗