The Inquiry has brought to life the devastating stories of those impacted by the Horizon Scandal. We apologise unreservedly for the suffering which Post Office caused to postmasters and their loved ones.
The Inquiry, led by Sir Wyn Williams, has now published Volume 1 of its final report, available here.
Commenting on the Inquiry Volume 1 report, Post Office Chair Nigel Railton, said: “I would like to make a clear and unequivocal apology to every single person affected by this scandal on behalf of Post Office.
The Horizon Scandal is not one event. Lots of people made choices over two decades which caused serious harm to so many people. Post Office did not listen to postmasters and, as an organisation, we let them down. Postmasters and their families have suffered years of pain. It has taken them too long to clear their names and, in many cases, to receive redress.
I welcome Sir Wyn Williams’ report, and I am grateful to those postmasters who gave evidence to the Inquiry. It is through their personal stories that we understand the human impact of this scandal.
I will do everything in my power to make sure that affected postmasters receive the redress they are entitled to, as soon as possible.
Post Office will carefully review the report and provide a full response to the Inquiry by 10 October 2025, as requested by Sir Wyn.”
The Volume 1 report included a series of recommendations for Post Office and the Department for Business and Trade. Post Office responded to the report in October 2025, and that response is available here. The Department for Business and Trade’s full response to all of the recommendations, is available here. Where the recommendations are jointly addressed to Post Office, we have discussed and agreed the Department’s response. We have also jointly agreed a definition of ‘full and fair financial redress’, which is available here.
Commenting on the response to the Volume 1 report, Post Office Chair, Nigel Railton, said: “We have been working closely with the Department for Business and Trade to respond to the recommendations in Volume 1 of Sir Wyn Williams’ Inquiry report and to speed up redress payments to those who have been impacted by this awful scandal.
“I am pleased that we have made progress, with over £1.2 billion now paid to 9,100 people across all schemes. But there is still more work to do.
“We accept the recommendation that a date should be set for the Horizon Shortfall Scheme to close. We have now agreed with the Department for Business and Trade that 31 January 2026 should be the deadline for accepting new applications into the Horizon Shortfall Scheme. We have chosen this date, which is later than the one proposed by Sir Wyn Williams, to give potential applicants more time to consider and submit their applications after the Christmas peak period, which is particularly busy for current postmasters.
“I encourage any current or former postmaster who thinks they might be eligible for the Horizon Shortfall Scheme to get in touch ahead of the closure date. We have a dedicated claimant support team available on the phone to discuss your options, provide support, and answer any questions so we can begin to process your claim right away.”