Post Office's Historical Shortfall Scheme
Note of Warning, Clarification & Disclaimer
If you were a Subpostmaster who had problems with Post Office Limited and its Horizon computer system and were not part of the group litigation action that took place during 2016-19, and you believe that you too had suffered. What can you do?
On 1 May 2020 Post Office launched its ‘Historical Shortfall Scheme’, which it has set up to deal with late arriving Subpostmaster claims. It is important for you to understand, that despite the JFSA being referred to in the Post Office documentation, the deployment of this scheme is entirely down to Post Office Limited.
The JFSA wants to make it absolutely clear that the JFSA is NOT involved in any way with Post Office’s scheme, nor would it ever devise a scheme like this if it was instrumental in creating one that is fair and transparent.
The JFSA strongly recommends that any person entering any type of agreement should first take legal advice. There are many solicitors who may be able to offer you advice, the choice is yours, however I am aware of one firm, Hudgells, who would not charge you for an initial discussion and that firm is working on a number of cases with regard to Post Office Limited and Subpostmasters.
Being the founder of the JFSA and having campaigned to right the wrongs of Post Office for many years, which so far has culminated in a High Court group litigation group action resulting in nearly a 1000 pages of court tested damning evidence about Post Office and its Horizon system, I suggest, if nothing else, you read the short document found here. Then decide what you are going to do.
Personally, I cannot see any sign that Post Office has changed in the slightest despite the findings of the court judgments that were handed down, nor do I expect to see any real or meaningful changes until such time as a judge-led public enquiry has been held.
Alan Bates
May 2020
If you were a Subpostmaster who had problems with Post Office Limited and its Horizon computer system and were not part of the group litigation action that took place during 2016-19, and you believe that you too had suffered. What can you do?
On 1 May 2020 Post Office launched its ‘Historical Shortfall Scheme’, which it has set up to deal with late arriving Subpostmaster claims. It is important for you to understand, that despite the JFSA being referred to in the Post Office documentation, the deployment of this scheme is entirely down to Post Office Limited.
The JFSA wants to make it absolutely clear that the JFSA is NOT involved in any way with Post Office’s scheme, nor would it ever devise a scheme like this if it was instrumental in creating one that is fair and transparent.
The JFSA strongly recommends that any person entering any type of agreement should first take legal advice. There are many solicitors who may be able to offer you advice, the choice is yours, however I am aware of one firm, Hudgells, who would not charge you for an initial discussion and that firm is working on a number of cases with regard to Post Office Limited and Subpostmasters.
Being the founder of the JFSA and having campaigned to right the wrongs of Post Office for many years, which so far has culminated in a High Court group litigation group action resulting in nearly a 1000 pages of court tested damning evidence about Post Office and its Horizon system, I suggest, if nothing else, you read the short document found here. Then decide what you are going to do.
Personally, I cannot see any sign that Post Office has changed in the slightest despite the findings of the court judgments that were handed down, nor do I expect to see any real or meaningful changes until such time as a judge-led public enquiry has been held.
Alan Bates
May 2020