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UK Parliament > Business > Written questions, ar and statements > Find written statements > HCWS483
Changes to responsibilities for Horizon overturned
convictions redress
Statement made on 3 March 2025
Statement UIN HCWS483
Statement made by
Gareth Thomas >
Minister for Services, Small Business and Exports
Labour
Harrow West
Commons
Statement
The delivery of redress for victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal is a key manifesto commitment for this Government. As part of
our commitment, I have been actively considering whether the Department for Business and Trade should take on responsibility for
the redress schemes currently managed by the Post Office. This is something that postmasters, campaigners and Parliamentarians,
including the Business and Trade Select Committee, have called for.
11am today announcing the Department's Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) will broaden its scope and take on
responsibility for redress for postmasters who have had their convictions overturned by the courts.
There will be a three-month transition period to allow for the smooth transfer of active claims from one scheme to the other. At the
end of May 2025, claims for redress under the Post Office’s Overturned Convictions scheme will be transferred into the HCRS and the
Post Office will cease to be involved in the administration of redress for overturned convictions. From Tuesday 3 June all existing and
new overturned convictions claims will be processed by the Department for Business and Trade.
There will be no gap in service for postmasters who have claims in the system. During the transition period the Post Office will
continue to actively progress claims towards settlement. The Department is already working with the Post Office to ensure the
transfer process is as smooth as possible for individuals and will work with them and their legal representatives throughout the
process. Our intention is for a seamless transition for existing claims.
The assessment framework for HCRS was deliberately aligned with the principles for decision in the Overturned Convictions scheme
to ensure fairness of outcome across the two schemes. All postmasters can therefore expect consistency of treatment between the
HCRS and Overturned Convictions schemes.
In advance of 3 June, I encourage all those eligible to apply for redress under the Overturned Convictions scheme to continue to
engage with the Post Office, who are committed to continuing to process existing claims swiftly until the transfer date.
As I have previously indicated I am considering whether responsibility for delivering the Horizon Shortfall Scheme should also be
transferred to the Department. I will make a separate statement about that in due course. We already committed to running the
Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process within the Department, rather than allowing it to be run by the Post Office
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Statement from
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This statement has also been made in the House of Lords
Department for Business and Trade >
Changes to responsibilities for Horizon overturned convictions redress
Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Minister for Services, Small Business and Exports
Labour, Life peer
Statement made 3 March 2025
HLWS477
Lords
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