Justice for Post Office Horizon scandal victims 

The Post Office Horizon scandal is one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in UK history.

The scale of this injustice is hard to comprehend but its impact is painfully real.

We understand how deeply unfair this has been and we are here to help you seek the justice and support you deserve.

What is the Post Office Horizon scandal? 

In 1999 post offices introduced a new computer accounting system, Horizon, to record all transactions. The point of the new technology was to highlight any discrepancies in what should be in the till.

Subpostmasters - those who run each of the local branches - were forced to use it but the system repeatedly showed shortfalls that didn’t exist. Some were minor. Others amounted to thousands of pounds.

Despite their protests subpostmasters were told the Horizon technology was reliable and pressured to cover the apparent losses themselves with many subpostmasters resorting to desperate measures to make up the difference all while their businesses and reputations collapsed.

Hundreds of subpostmasters were prosecuted for theft and fraud with some going to prison while others received criminal records that made it impossible to find work.

The truth behind the scandal only emerged in 2019 when subpostmasters won a civil case in England. A judge ruled that Horizon had serious faults which finally proved it could generate false shortfalls. This breakthrough led to some convictions being overturned and triggered the ongoing post office inquiry.

The ITV drama Mr Bates vs Post Office brought the scandal to wider attention highlighting the devastating impact on innocent people.

However justice has been slow - especially in Scotland where many victims are still fighting to clear their names and receive the compensation they deserve.

Post Office Horizon Inquiry’s first publication

Digby Brown welcomes the recommendations in Volume 1 of the final report of Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry - read our recent article to see how we are supporting victims.

I have been affected - how can I make a claim?

For many people dealing with the consequences of faults in the Horizon system has been deeply distressing and unjust. 

If you have suffered because of the Horizon scandal, you may be entitled to compensation. There are currently a number of Post Office Horizon compensation schemes available depending on how you were directly impacted by the Scandal, though the main ones are:

• Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS)
• Overturned Convictions Scheme (OC)
• Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS)

If you’re unsure which scheme applies to you we can help you understand your options and guide you through the claims process.