The “retraumatising” compensation process for subpostmasters wronged by the Post Office Horizon scandal could go on for another three years, lawyers have warned.
Many victims of the scandal are still awaiting full redress, as one of the final reports from the long-running inquiry – looking at the impact on those who had their lives destroyed and compensation – is set to be published on Tuesday.
More than 900 subpostmasters were wrongfully prosecuted by the Post Office between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts.
The previous Conservative government said those who had their convictions quashed were eligible for £600,000 payouts – with victims such as Amanda and Norman Barber accepting the fixed offer.
Despite losing their business and home, the Warrington couple said they found it “almost impossible” to provide the details required to have their case individually assessed so did not want to risk “getting less”.
Unexplained shortfalls in their accounts at Thelwall Post Office eventually led to them being prosecuted over a deficit of £5,600 – despite using around £200,000 of their own money to attempt to balance the books.
Both received a community order of 12 months and 100 hours’ community service.
Speaking about the redress process, Amanda, 55, said: “We were being asked to produce evidence we simply couldn’t get our hands on with regards to our losses as we are talking going back 15 years.
“We found it almost impossible to provide the details needed to go down the route of having our case individually assessed.
“It just didn’t seem worth it. I think subpostmasters are still being left in an impossible situation when it comes to seeking true and full redress.
“Given the time it would take we simply couldn’t risk a full assessment and getting less, particularly because the lack of documents we had.
“It got to the stage where, when the £600,000 was offered, it seemed the best way to bring years of torture to an end.”
Redress has been a key issue for subpostmasters since the scandal came to light, with many finding the various compensation schemes difficult to navigate.
Lead campaigner Sir Alan Bates previously described the various processes as “quasi-kangaroo courts”, telling The Sunday Times that the Department for Business and Trade “sits in judgment of the claims and alters the goal posts as and when it chooses”.
The chairman of the Horizon IT inquiry, Sir Wyn Williams, is due to publish his findings on redress on Tuesday, with Amanda Barber saying she will join other subpostmasters in attending the report’s publication event.
She said: “We feel we just need to be there to hear what is said.
“Lives were ruined and compensation has been made too hard to get, and too little by far.”
One law firm involved in securing redress for victims, Hudgell Solicitors, said it still had more than 700 ongoing compensation cases to resolve.
Solicitor Neil Hudgell said the firm had agreed damages for more than 300 people, totalling £170 million, but said the redress process had “far too much red tape to get through”.
He said: “We have seen inconsistencies between the various compensation schemes, which remain over-engineered and over-legalistic, with far too much red tape to get through.
“There has also been a repeated failure to give the benefit of the doubt to subpostmasters in appropriate circumstances.
“It’s made it far too long a process for so many people who have been through so much, and are now in the latter stages of their lives.
“It has been retraumatising for many, and increasing numbers are sadly passing away without seeing redress.”
Addressing how long it could take for all claims to be settled, the solicitor added: “At the current speed, we are looking at another two to three years.”
Mr Hudgell said one client who was initially offered £50,000 has seen their offer rise to £500,000.
He added: “It is not a one-off glitch, but a stark illustration of a very common issue.
“It has been a painful process for all, and ended with a new appeals process being confirmed earlier this year, in recognition that many people had been under-compensated.”
In a statement, the Department for Business and Trade said: “We are grateful for the inquiry’s work, which has revealed the immeasurable suffering that victims of the scandal have endured.
“This Government has quadrupled the total amount paid to affected postmasters to provide them with full and fair redress, with more than £1 billion having now been paid to over 7,300 claimants.”
