Government considering redress scheme for families of Post Office scandal victims
The government is considering a separate scheme to provide redress to the families of subpostmasters affected by the Post Office scandal.
Fujitsu, which recently agreed to begin negotiations over its contribution towards the costs, will feature in these plans, as officials at the Department for Business and Trade look into gaps in current redress schemes, including the treatment of family members.
Post Office minister Gareth Thomas said he recognises the Horizon scandal’s “knock-on effect” on the [children of affected subpostmasters].”
“I have asked officials in my department to consider a government redress scheme for family members and will provide an update in the coming months,” he said.
If approved, this will add another redress scheme to the three for subpostmasters affected by Horizon problems, and one in the making for those affected by problems with the Capture software, which was used in Post Office branches before Horizon’s introduction in 1999.
The Lost Chances for Subpostmaster Children support group, which was set up to bring together the children of Post Office scandal victims to demand support and redress for their suffering, also called for any person affected by the treatment of their parents by the Post Office to register their interest.
The Post Office minister met with the Lost Chances group representatives yesterday (19 March). Group chair Rebekah Foot described the meeting as “a positive and productive one”.
“We felt truly heard, as the minister approached our concerns with honesty and compassion. It was clear that they understand the challenges faced by children and families affected by this issue, and they are aware of the significant gap in government support for these groups,” she said.
Foot added that while there are currently no schemes in place to address the needs of the children of affected subpostmasters, the minister acknowledged the importance of this issue. “The government is keen to engage with us as a group, recognising that we represent a significant number of victims,” she said.
The Lost Chances group was set up by Katie Downey, daughter of former subpostmaster Tony Downey, to highlight the issues that children and wider families have suffered as a result of Post Office and Fujitsu malevolence. This was after she read a Computer Weekly report about Fujitsu boss Paul Patterson’s promise to support families of victims during a hearing in the scandal statutory public inquiry in January 2024.
Lofty promises still unmet
During that hearing, Patterson was asked by KC Sam Stein, representing victims, whether, beyond financial redress, Fujitsu would consider what else it could do to support victims and their families in the future. “You may want to think that what could be done by Fujitsu is supporting people in the future, subpostmasters in future, [the] entrepreneurial endeavours [of] their families or in education,” he said. “Will Fujitsu consider that type of support?”
Patterson responded: “If I was to be able to engage in that with subpostmasters and their representatives, [that] would be absolutely something we would like to consider. I think skills in our country, without jumping too far, is very important, and I think there are things that we can do in our technology world that may or may not be of help to subpostmasters and their associated families. So, I would engage in that conversation, Mr Stein.”
But over a year later, the group is still waiting for any meaningful talks or commitment from Fujitsu.
Fujitsu had not responded to a request for comment when this article was published.
Lost Chances’ Foot told Computer Weekly: “We will continue to advocate for our members and remain dedicated to expanding our group, working to find and support others who are affected by this issue. Additionally, we are determined to push forward with talks with the government regarding how they plan to support the children affected by the Post Office scandal, ensuring their needs are not overlooked.”
Foot had her family life ruined when her mother, at one time the youngest ever subpostmaster, began experiencing serious problems due to unexplained losses in her branch in 2006, and was eventually made bankrupt in 2014. She said life has been a struggle for her family.
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