The Post Office is set to compensate hundreds of former sub-postmasters whose personal information was inadvertently leaked online, the BBC has reported.
The data breach, which occurred last June, exposed the names and addresses of 555 individuals caught up in the Horizon IT scandal.
The Post Office has confirmed that individual compensation payouts will be capped at £5,000, with victims receiving either £5,000 or £3,500 depending on whether the leaked address was their current residence.
While the capped amount offers a base level of redress, the Post Office has indicated that individuals may still pursue claims for higher compensation.
This incident follows the widespread Horizon scandal, where faulty accounting software led to wrongful prosecutions of numerous sub-postmasters.
The statement said: “We have written to all named individuals either directly, or via their solicitors.
“If there are any individuals whose name was impacted by last year’s breach, but who have not received information about the payment for some reason, they can contact us or ask their solicitors if they have legal representation.”
Law firm Freeths told the BBC that 348 clients who had their data breached had already received payment.
Lawyer Will Richmond-Coggan said: “We welcome the progress we have made with this case, but there is still a long way to go to recognise the devastating impact of this breach for those affected.”
The Post Office has been contacted for comment.
