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CIRCULATION: NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL A3
X Ref: y
MS/LW PC SC 1801 ~
X Ref: PC SC 27
30 December 2004
werevesubpostmasters.org uk
CIRCULATION: __ NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
General Secretary: Ci eR
Senior Assistant General Secretary
Keun Davis
Assistant. General Secretary
MARION STODDART
Dear Executive Officer
DEBT RECOVERY
Please see enclosed correspondence regarding a revised debt recovery process, this
will assist discussions at the Executive Council meeting.
Yours sincerely
MARILYN STODDART
Assistant General Secretar
Enel.
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Colin Baker
General Secretary
National Federation of Sub Postmasters
15.12.04
Dear Corban
Further to our liaison meeting on 10" December 2004 I can confirm that we will consider your
representations for an appeals process regarding mitigating circumstances on issued error
notices.
As we discussed at the meeting we will be implementing the revised debt recovery process
during January ‘05.
We will also be transferring the following work from the retail line to the Debt Recovery teams in
Chesterfield:
« Recovery of funds for irregular encashment of girocheques
e Recovery of funds, where applicable, following the appeals process in Robbery and
Burglary culpability cases.
For both of the above we will invoke deduction from remuneration if repayment is not
forthcoming.
Additionally from February 2005 we will be amending the timescales for which an item may be
held exceptionally in suspense (Liability for Losses Policy (for agency branches), v1.7 section
3 - Authority to noid losses refers) from 8 weeks to 4 weeks.
I will send you a copy of the People focus letter in which we will communicate the changes to
subposimasters in the New Year.
Kind Regards
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Ref.: CACM /Debt Recovery
Version: Version 1.1
In Confidence Date: 17 December 2004
Document Title:
Document Type:
Release
Abstract:
Document Status:
Authors:
Contributors:
Reviewed By:
Comments To:
Comments By:
Distribution:
Debt recovery —Horizon related errors.
Electronic (MS Word)
Version 1.1
Debt recovery —Agent’s debt for Horizon related errors.
Draft
Jennifer Robson
Martin Ferlinc, Carol King Geoff
May, John Dutton, Paul
Patterson, John Breeden, John
Legg, Alison Bolsover, Victoria
Noble, Hector Campbell, Andy
Terret, Tony Utting
Jennifer Robson, Debt recovery manager,
Client Accounting and Cash Management,
Preferably In advance of our POL/NFSP liaison meeting on 1(
December 04
Colin Baker, General Secretary
National Federation of Sub
Postmasters
Client Accounting and Cash
Management
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Ref.: CACM /Debt Recovery
Version: Version 1.1
In Confidence Date: 17 December 2004.
1. PURPOSE/SUMMARY
This document has been prepared to propose changes to the debt
recovery process in CACM for issued error notices.
The current process has been in operation now for 1 year and has
generally settled down into business as usual.
In summary we intend to:
e Take out one of the two telephone reminders
e Rationalise the concurrence process
2. OBJECTIVE
The objective of our debt recovery process is to achieve a 100%
success rate in proven charge errors brought to account and made
good. The only exceptions will be where there has been a dispute that
on investigation has been upheld or, as referenced in the Liability for
losses policy, agreement has been given by the retail line
representative to write off the loss to their profit and loss account.
The objectives of this new proposal are to improve the timescales for \
recovery of monies and support our drive to clear cases outstanding as ;
we move into IMPACT S80 planned for summer 2005,and reduce the
time spent in the Retail line on concurrences..
3. THE PROCESS
The diagram at Appendix A illustrates the debt recovery process for
Horizon related errors as it is now
The diagram at Appendix B shows the changes we intend to deploy —
the shaded boxes illustrate key changes. The process description for
the revised process is as follows:
3.1.Box 1 -5. The process commences when following an analysis and
investigation of the streams of transaction data received in CACM an
error at the branch is identified.The error notice advises the
subpostmaster of the results of the balance for the week in question in
addition to the amount of the discrepancy to which the error notice
relates. The debt recovery team (Agent’s debt team 2) will despatch
the error notice and the evidence to the branch after entering the
relevant information on to the error notice database. For the branches
managed as multiples a report is prepared for the appropriate nominee
of those error notices despatched to his /her branches.
The approach covers both claims (amounts due to subpostmaster) and
charges (amounts due from subpostmaster) However claims are not
pursued beyond reminder.
3.2. Boxes 6 through to 18 cover the process where the sub
postmaster may query or dispute the error. The error notice displays a
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Ref.: CACM /Debt Recovery
Version: Version 1.1
In Confidence Date: 17 December 2004
phone number for disputes and queries, for example if a postmaster
wishes to clarify the explanation on the error notice or would like to
obtain more information.
If appropriate the subpostmaster will be asked to support the claim with
evidence that the error notice should be cancelled.
There are 2 potential outcomes from this.
!) If the query is resolved or the dispute upheld the case is closed
(boxes 11 and 13) and the subpostmaster is advised.
i) If the error notice is upheld and the subpostmaster does not
bring it to account the case is referred to the reminder team
after the error notice has been confirmed as valid (box 19.) —
see inset box also on the process map.
3.3. Boxes 19 —29 cover the process for the telephone reminder to the
sub postmaster asking him to bring the error notice to account (both
charges and claims). There is an acknowledgement here also that the
subpostmaster may wish to query or dispute the error notice. Again the
outcome will be either that the dispute is upheld or the case is referred
for recovery.The lower level detail of this process covers for
eventualities where the postmaster is unavailable for whatever reason.
In those instances a further “ first reminder” call will be made.
N.B. For the national multiples the contact will be as now via the
agreed nominee for the branch. I
3.4, Boxes 30—36. This part of the process covers the concurrence !
process, where appropriate, to deduct amounts that have not been {
brought to account from remuneration or for the hardship process to
be invoked.
3.5 Boxes 37 —44. Once action has been agreed the amounts are I
recovered and the accounting completed.
N.B. Boxes 32&33 Concurrence requirements. As now the
concurrence requirements are all cases for rural and multiples and
>£300 for urban. However to minimise the impact in the retail line and
speed up this part of the process we are introducing a “silence is
assent” process. So, if Debt Recovery has not received a response to
the concurrence request within 7 days the deduction from
remuneration will go ahead. If an out of office indicator is flagged then
Debt Recovery will approach the person named as cover for the RLM.
4. TIMELINE
The arrows at the top of the process map indicate approximate
timescales.
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Version: Version 1.1 .
In Confidence Date: 17 December 2004
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PHASE3 Ref.: CACM /Debt Recovery
Version: Version 1.1
: 17 December 2004
In Confidence
“The folowing boxes rom the existing process are
now doloted Box,t4,85,37,98,40,52,89 and 54
N.B.4.Where duplicatea
made to encure the erro:
‘see box 13
Equally where disputes ate dectingd a phone call wil be
made so enure te error notice le Brought to account,
roughtto account —
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