FAQs

Last updated: 21 October 2026

Sections:

• Criminal prosecutions and appeals
• Financial Redress
• Horizon & Inquiry
• Network Transformation
• Capture system

Criminal prosecutions and appeals

Please visit our page on appealing convictions for further information.

Does Post Office still have the power to bring private prosecutions?
Post Office has no special authority to bring private prosecutions. The right to bring a private criminal prosecution is available to both companies and individuals in England and Wales as a result of section 6(1) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985.

Post Office has not undertaken any private prosecutions related to Horizon since 2015 and has no intention of doing so in the future. In cases of suspected criminal activity, Post Office co-operates fully with the relevant law enforcement agency.

When did Post Office start and stop prosecutions related to Horizon?
Post Office has not undertaken private prosecutions related to Horizon since 2015.

There were Horizon ‘pilots’ in some Post Office branches from 1996, before the system was rolled out to all branches from 1999. Therefore, some Post Office prosecutions since 1996 may have related to Horizon. The Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act – see above – covers certain types of alleged offences since 23 September 1996.

Were there also prosecutions in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal’s Service (COPFS) is responsible for prosecutions in Scotland and undertook all prosecutions of Post Office cases. In Northern Ireland, Post Office cases were undertaken by its principal prosecution authority, the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPSNI).

Post Office has continued to help other prosecuting authorities to ensure that they have every assistance in taking their work forward. This includes sharing all the information we have in relation to prosecutions which have been brought by other prosecutors.

Other prosecuting bodies include the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and, as above, COPFS in Scotland and PPSNI in Northern Ireland. The relevant prosecuting authority in each case is responsible for continuing post-conviction duties, including the handling of appeals.

Please note – the Ministry of Justice is identifying convictions which are within scope of the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act which became law in 2024, and which are therefore quashed.

The Act includes cases in Northern Ireland and cases prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service.

On 14 June 2024, convictions in Scotland were also quashed by legislation which can be found here.

Have any cases prosecuted by bodies other than Post Office been appealed?
Yes, there have been a number of Court appeals of cases prosecuted by other bodies, not Post Office. Questions relating to prosecutions and/ or appeals relating to other prosecutors should be directed to them.

How many prosecutions and convictions were there?
Post Office has identified a total of 700 convictions in cases it prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 in which Horizon evidence may have featured.

Post Office also identified 283 cases which potentially featured Horizon evidence and which were prosecuted during the relevant time (1999 – 2015) by other bodies, not Post Office.

Other prosecuting bodies include the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPSF) in Scotland and the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPSNI).

The UK Government’s Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act which became law in May 2024 includes cases in Northern Ireland and cases prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service. The legislation can be found here.

The Ministry of Justice is identifying convictions which are within scope of the Act and which are therefore quashed.

On 14 June 2024, convictions in Scotland were also quashed by legislation.

Can people who were prosecuted by other bodies, not Post Office, seek financial redress if their convictions are overturned?
Yes. Please see information about financial redress for overturned convictions here.

On 30 July 2024, the Government announced that its new Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) for people whose convictions are quashed by legislation, is open. The scheme is UK-wide and is being administered by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. Details of registering for the scheme can be found on the Government’s website here.

Has Post Office contacted people with convictions in the cases it prosecuted?
Yes, we have previously contacted people. However, the work of Post Office and Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) which was taking place to encourage Court appeals has now been superseded by the Government’s Post Office (Horizon System) Act which became law in May 2024.

Before the Act, Post Office carried out extensive efforts - we contacted the vast majority of people with convictions in Post Office prosecutions which may have involved Horizon evidence, although there remained a small number (25) we were unable to trace. We were aware that people affected might feel traumatised and daunted by contact from Post Office, so we asked the CCRC, as an independent body, to also make contact. We also engaged Citizens Advice to provide a service providing confidential support and information.

Financial Redress

When will people affected receive redress?
We understand that it is imperative that people should receive financial redress as quickly as possible. Thousands of final settlements have now been agreed and paid. You can access the latest redress figures on the Government website here. We continue to work alongside Government to do all that we can to get payments to those affected as quickly as possible through the following schemes:

• Group Litigation Order (GLO) Scheme: The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) is administering the GLO scheme, which provides ex-gratia redress for postmasters who were claimants in the Group Litigation and part of its settlement in 2019. Please note the deadline to submit an application is 31 July 2026.
• Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS): BIST is also administering the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme which was recently opened to provide redress for people whose criminal convictions have been overturned. Since 3 June 2025 this also includes criminal convictions that were overturned by the Courts (i.e. that were previously within the Overturned Convictions process).
• Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS): Post Office is administering the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, established in 2020 to provide redress for postmasters who were not claimants in the Group Litigation. Please note that this scheme closed to new applications on 31 January 2026.
• Capture Redress Scheme: This scheme is being administered by BIST and is for those who experienced a financial shortfall as a result of the Capture software installed in some Post Office branches between 1992 and 2000.
• Post Office Process Review: Administered by Post Office to provide financial redress for current or former postmasters who were impacted by previous products, policies or processes that may have caused financial loss to postmasters because of the way they were designed or delivered. Please note the deadline to submit a request form was 30 September 2026.
• Suspension Remuneration Review: Post Office is administering this process to provide redress for postmasters who were not remunerated during a period of contract suspension before March 2019. Please note this review closed to new requests on 31 January 2026.
• Family Members Redress Scheme: BIST is administering this scheme to provide redress to family members of postmasters affected by the Horizon Scandal. It is open for registrations.

What is done to ensure independence in assessing financial redress payments?
Both Post Office and Government are committed to full and fair redress for people. Each scheme incorporates assessments by independent experts.

There is no exhaustive list of the types of individual losses being compensated, nor are there ‘caps’ on amounts.

You can find more information about the Schemes on the links below:

Group Litigation Order Scheme

Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme

Horizon Shortfall Scheme

Capture Redress Scheme

Family Members Redress Scheme.

Why are public funds being used to provide redress to postmasters?
It is a priority for us to provide full, fair and final financial redress as quickly as possible and we have made substantial progress. Post Office does not have the financial resources to pay meaningful redress and we welcome funding support from Government to help enable this.

Has the Horizon Scandal made Post Office insolvent?
No. Government, our shareholder, is providing funding support for payments to people affected by the scandal. Details of Post Office’s financial position can be found in our Annual Report & Accounts.

When did the Horizon Shortfall Scheme close?
The Horizon Shortfall Scheme closed to new applications on 31 January 2026.

This was the deadline for receiving new applications (completed application form and any supporting material). The scheme will continue to operate after 31 January to progress the applications received by this date. More information is available on the scheme website here.

How much is the average payment in the Horizon Shortfall Scheme?
There is no pre-defined amount for individual payments to postmasters in the Scheme who opt to have their claims fully assessed as these are assessed by the Scheme’s independent advisory panel who recommend fair outcomes for claims in line with the statement on full and fair redress.

Details of payments made to date can be found here including information about average payments for various ‘heads of loss’. Alternatively, applicants can opt to accept the fixed sum offer of £75,000 if they have suffered shortfalls.

Has the cost of establishing and running the Horizon Shortfall Scheme affected amounts paid to postmasters?
No. Government funding support for redress payments to postmasters is separate from the funding they provide for the operation of the scheme itself. The costs of establishing and running the scheme have no impact on individual payments to postmasters as there is an independent advisory panel assessing claims. There is no pre-defined amount for individual payments.

In the Horizon Shortfall Scheme are there ‘caps’ on amounts of redress for losses postmasters suffered?
No. We are aware of the severity of the impacts on people's lives. This is why each fully assessed case is carefully considered by an independent advisory panel, sensitive to the individual’s circumstances. There is no exhaustive list of the types of individual losses being redressed through the Scheme; nor are there ‘caps’ on amounts.

Unlike in civil litigation, the Scheme’s independent advisory panel assessing applications is not limited to the confines of legal principles and evidence as a court would be. The panel, drawn from the relevant areas of law, retail and forensic accountancy, assesses individual claims and uses a fairness discretion to take into account all matters they consider will produce a fair result in all the circumstances, including the testimony of individual postmasters of their experiences. Alternatively, those affected can apply for the Fixed Sum Offer of £75,000 which, for many, will provide full and fair redress in their individual circumstances.

Where can I access further information about the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, the Overturned Convictions Scheme and the Group Litigation Order Scheme?
Following discussion with the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, the Department for Business and Trade commissioned detailed progress reports to be produced on the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), the Overturned Convictions Scheme and the GLO Scheme. You can find the latest reports on the links below:

March 2026 reports
• Horizon Shortfall Scheme - report from the Post Office Remediation Unit
• Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals – report from the Department for Business and Trade
• Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme – report from the Department for Business and Trade
• GLO Scheme – report from the Department for Business and Trade

Previous reports

December 2025 reports
• Horizon Shortfall Scheme - report from the Post Office Remediation Unit
• Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals – report from the Department for Business and Trade
• Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme – report from the Department for Business and Trade
• GLO Scheme – report from the Department for Business and Trade

September 2025 reports
• Horizon Shortfall Scheme - report from the Post Office Remediation Unit
• Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals – report from the Department for Business and Trade
• Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme – report from the Department for Business and Trade
• GLO Scheme – report from the Department for Business and Trade

June 2025 reports
• Horizon Shortfall Scheme - report from the Post Office Remediation Unit
• Overturned Convictions Scheme - report from Post Office Remediation Unit on non-pecuniary losses from Post Office Remediation Unit*
• Overturned Convictions Scheme - report from Sir Gary Hickinbottom, Chair of the Independent Compensation Assessment Panel which facilitates resolution of pecuniary loss claims
• GLO Scheme – this scheme is administered by the Department for Business and Trade

March 2025
• Horizon Shortfall Scheme - report from the Post Office Remediation Unit
• Overturned Convictions Scheme - report from Post Office Remediation Unit on non-pecuniary losses from Post Office Remediation Unit*
• Overturned Convictions Scheme - report from Sir Gary Hickinbottom, Chair of the Independent Compensation Assessment Panel which facilitates resolution of pecuniary loss claims*
• GLO Scheme – this Scheme is administered by the Department for Business and Trade

*please note that from 3 June 2025, responsibility for redress for people with overturned convictions has moved from Post Office to the Department for Business and Trade. More details are available here.

January 2025
• Horizon Shortfall Scheme - report from Post Office Remediation Unit
• Overturned Convictions Scheme – report from Post Office Remediation Unit on non-pecuniary losses from Post Office Remediation Unit
• Overturned Convictions Scheme – report from Sir Gary Hickinbottom, Chair of the Independent Compensation Assessment Panel which facilitates resolution of pecuniary loss claims
• GLO Scheme - this Scheme is administered by DBT

July 2024
• Horizon Shortfall Scheme - report from Post Office Remediation Unit
• Overturned Convictions Scheme – report from Post Office Remediation Unit on non-pecuniary losses
• Overturned Convictions Scheme – report from Sir Gary Hickinbottom, Chair of the Independent Compensation Assessment Panel which facilitates resolution of pecuniary loss claims
• GLO Scheme - this Scheme is administered by DBT

Why does Post Office not provide legal costs for claimants until they receive offers from the Scheme?

Post Office provides the costs of independent legal advice once claimants receive their offers because it is at that point that they receive the recommendation of the Scheme’s Independent Advisory Panel and information about how this was decided. Claimants who are unhappy with their offer can dispute it, with independent legal advice continuing to be reimbursed by Post Office and an interim payment of up to 100% of the proposed settlement. On 9 September 2024 the Government announced an independent appeals process for the Horizon Shortfall Scheme. Information about referrals to the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process can be accessed here.

This announcement further supports our shared commitment to ensuring full and fair redress. It will mean postmasters who feel their financial settlement did not reflect the true extent of their losses and trauma will be able to apply for the new independent appeals process, which will be overseen by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.

For applicants who accepted the Fixed Sum Offer the Government has further announced an appeals process, details of which can be found here. Applicants will be provided with paid for legal advice to allow them to decide whether to appeal their Fixed Sum Offer if they would like an independent assessment of whether the fixed sum provided for all of their losses.

What is the position on tax of redress provided by the Scheme?
Post Office welcomed the announcement by Government on 19 June 2023 that enabled us to address tax treatment of redress for postmasters in the Scheme who opt to have their claims fully assessed. Government announced that it would fund top-up payments to ensure redress received is not unduly reduced by tax. More detail can be found on the Scheme’s website here. The Fixed Sum Offer is exempt from tax.

Horizon & Inquiry

Has Post Office apologised?

Yes. You can read our Chair Nigel Railton’s apology and statement here.

There is an ongoing restorative justice programme, facilitated by the independent organisation the Restorative Justice Council. Restorative justice seeks to address the emotional impact of the scandal to facilitate healing and accountability. There are several options for those who wish to take part in restorative justice, including meetings with representatives from the Department of Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, Fujitsu or Post Office. These meetings are facilitated by the Restorative Justice Council to ensure they are safe and suitable for the participants. Alternatively, for those people who do not want a face-to-face meeting, other options include wellbeing support, listening sessions, or indirect, shuttle communication with the organisations who harmed them, for example through letters.

It is an entirely free and voluntary process and the Restorative Justice Council can provide further information and support for anyone who is interested in taking part in the Horizon Project. It is open to postmasters, their children and families and is available to those who were impacted by Horizon or Capture software.

Is Horizon still being used?

Yes. There have been several versions of Horizon since its introduction in 1999 and we’ve continued to make improvements, working with our postmasters.

The programme to replace the Horizon system is underway, as part of Post Office’s wider transformation. Three suppliers have been appointed to work with Post Office to deliver a modern and flexible system designed around the needs of customers and the postmasters who serve them. The suppliers bring experience from other postal systems and will work closely with Post Office to introduce a simpler and more effective IT system. The new system will be configured, tested and introduced in phases to ensure a safe and well-managed transition away from Horizon for branches.

While this work is ongoing, we have also made significant changes to the support we provide to postmasters and the ways in which we work together. In the past there was an assumption that postmasters were wholly responsible for unexplained losses. That was wrong and today the presumption is that they are not. Support provided to today’s postmasters includes a number of forums where they can raise issues.

They can instigate a review or investigation of any discrepancy directly through Horizon or by phone to our support centre. We also launched Branch Hub, a 24/7 self-service interactive portal for postmasters that supplements the support centre for initial support and which additionally provides information on known issues with Horizon.

Have any customers been impacted by the past Horizon issues?
No, the issues involved related to potential impacts on postmasters’ branch accounting. Our services to customers were not affected.

What are you doing to ensure this doesn’t happen again?
We are undertaking a programme of wholesale reform including changes to improve culture, practices and operating procedures.

Our Chair Nigel Railton launched the five-year Post Office Transformation Plan in November 2024. Central to this plan is the ‘new deal for postmasters’ - a commitment to significantly increase postmasters’ total annual income and strengthen their role in the direction of our business. Our intent is that by 2030, subject to government funding, the ‘new deal’ will deliver:

• A £250m increase in overall annual postmaster remuneration, significantly increasing the viability of branches and ensuring they can continue to provide the vital contact points with customers that they offer our clients.
• A far greater role for postmasters in the day-to-day operations of the business, strengthening their voice throughout Post Office.
• An enhanced package of support from Post Office, from onboarding and set-up, through to systems support and commercial excellence training.

Why hasn’t anyone at Post Office been held to account for the Horizon Scandal?
A statutory public Inquiry, led by a retired judge, Sir Wyn Williams, has examined the events of the Horizon Scandal and Post Office has fully supported the Inquiry's aims to establish what went wrong and the lessons which should be learned. Volume 1 of the final report was published in July 2025, with findings on human impact and redress. We await further findings and recommendations.

Separately, there is a continuing investigation led by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and Post Office is assisting this. The MPS is also a core participant in the Inquiry. The Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board are also investigating lawyers who were involved at the relevant time. Post Office is assisting in both cases.

How is Post Office supporting the Inquiry and sharing all required information?
We are fully committed to supporting the Inquiry to establish the truth and we have disclosed almost half a million documents (as of December 2024), reflecting both the unprecedented scale of the issues in the scandal and our commitment to transparency. We continue to work with the Inquiry to respond to any further requests for information.

Why is Post Office unable to answer some questions about past events?
It is fair and right that Post Office, as a business, continues to be publicly scrutinised as we right the wrongs of the past and participate in the ongoing independent Inquiry. Transparency and openness are an important part of demonstrating that the organisation has learned lessons from the scandal.

Our duty is first and foremost to the ongoing statutory Inquiry and those harmed during the Horizon Scandal, who need answers. The Inquiry is the best forum to establish answers to many of the difficult questions which are being asked about complex issues that spanned more than two decades and periods of substantial changes. Our focus remains on facilitating this process ahead of the publication of the final reports.

What is Post Office doing on restorative justice?
The Restorative Justice Council launched the Horizon Project in September 2025, a restorative justice programme for individuals affected by the Horizon IT Scandal. Restorative justice is separate to financial redress and seeks to address the emotional impact of the scandal to facilitate healing and accountability. It is an entirely free and voluntary process and the Restorative Justice Council can provide further information and support for anyone who is interested in taking part in the Horizon Project. It is open to postmasters, their children, and families, and is available to those who were impacted by shortfalls caused by Horizon or Capture software.

The project started with a pilot during which the Restorative Justice Council engaged with 250 people to ensure the full programme was developed with those who had been harmed. The Restorative Justice Council has now published its plan for a long-term, independent national restorative justice programme which began in April 2026 and will run initially for five-years. Full details of the programme can be found here, Rebuilding Trust: Designing a Restorative Justice Programme with Those Harmed.

More information on the project and how to take part is available here. The project is jointly funded by Post Office, Fujitsu and the Department for Business and Trade, but the Restorative Justice Council is an independent organisation.

The Department for Business and Trade have issued a joint statement to the Inquiry setting out their commitment to restorative justice, which can be accessed here.

Network Transformation

What is the Network Transformation investigation?
In April 2025, the Government announced its intention to commission an independent investigation into the Post Office’s Network Transformation programme, which ran between 2010 and 2019. The Government appointed Adam Tolley KC to lead the investigation in April 2026 and the full terms of reference can be found here. The investigation is separate from the ongoing Horizon IT Public Inquiry. We are committed to open and transparent co-operation with Adam Tolley KC and his team throughout the investigation. We encourage any current or former postmaster who has concerns about the Network Transformation programme to get in touch with the independent legal team, and more information on how to do so is available here.

Capture System

What action is Post Office taking to address the problems caused to postmasters by the pre-Horizon system, Capture?
We have been very concerned about the reported problems relating to the use of the Capture software and are sincerely sorry for past failings that have caused suffering to postmasters. On 30 September 2024, the Government published an independent report by Kroll forensic accountants which examined the Capture software that was used in some Post Office branches in the 1990s. In its report, Kroll concluded there was a reasonable likelihood Capture could have created shortfalls for postmasters.

The Kroll report does not take a view whether any possible convictions were unsafe. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) and Scotland Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) are investigating several criminal convictions which may be Capture related. Post Office is fully co-operating with the CCRC’s investigations in Capture and other pre-Horizon systems.

You can read the previous Post Office statements on Capture from 13 June 2024 here and 8 February 2024 here.

Is financial redress available for those affected by Capture?
On 17 December 2024, the Government responded to the Kroll report and committed to providing redress to those without convictions who have suffered losses as a consequence of Capture errors, and you can access further information about the announcement here and here.

The Government published details of the financial redress scheme for those affected by Capture on 29 October 2025. The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade is administering the scheme and information on how to apply is available here. The scheme will close to new applications on 31 March 2027.

What is the pre-Horizon systems investigation?
The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) has commissioned an independent investigation into a number of accounting systems and software used across the Post Office network before the introduction of Horizon. The investigation will examine whether historic systems) may have contributed to accounting discrepancies, financial shortfalls or other detriment experienced by postmasters. Post Office welcomes this independent review and is openly and transparently cooperating throughout the process.