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Witness Name: Timothy Newell Bentley
Statement No.: WITN08600100
Dated: 19 May 2023
POST OFFICE HORIZON IT INQUIRY
FIRST WITNESS STATEMENT OF TIMOTHY NEWELL BENTLEY
I, Timothy Newell Bentley, will say as follows...
Introduction
This witness statement is made to assist the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry (the
“Inquiry”) with the matters set out in the Rule 9 Request dated 14 April 2023 (the
“Request”).
Background
1. 1am now a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Approved Driving Instructor.
2. It is correct that I was a Client Manager at Post Office Counters Limited
(‘POCL”) in 2001. I can not recall the dates I was employed in this role,
however, the position was to deliver the requirements of what was known as
“Schedule ‘A’”, which set out the delivery of services for the provision of the
benefit payments and allowance system, which predated the introduction of
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the benefits payment card which was to have been used with the introduction
of automation in post offices. I had no other relevant roles in POCL (later the
Post Office Ltd (“POL”).
Correspondence with the DSS about Cleveleys Post Office
3.
I have been asked to consider the letters dated 10 January 2001 and 11
January 2001 sent by Angela Smith, of the Financial Services Division of the
Department of Social Security (“DSS”), to me (POL00095371 and
POL00095372), along with my response dated 16 January 2001
(POL00095370). I can not recall the matter in question due to the passage of
time.
With regards to the concerns being raised with me by Ms Smith in the
documents above, I can not recall the concerns being raised due to the
passage of time.
With regards to the information I provided to Ms Smith in response to the
concerns raised: other than the letters provided, I have no recollection of
specific details due to the passage of time.
I have been asked what enquiries I made within POCL before I responded to
Ms Smith. I have no recollection due to the passage of time.
I have been asked what the source was of the information I provided, and in
particular, what the source was of the position that “Post Office Counters Ltd
is satisfied with the performance of the Horizon platform, including the
operation of OBCS within this environment”? I am unable to recall that
information requested due to the passage of time.
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8. I have been asked whether it my understanding (with reference to my
comment that there was “some dissension with staff who have found the
transition challenging”) that some staff had reported problems with the
functioning of the Horizon IT system. I can not recall what this relates to.
9. I have been asked whether I or others at POCL consider that the problems
which staff were having with the Horizon IT system at this time were caused
by user error or by a fault with the Horizon IT system and why. I am unable to
recall this incident due to the passage of time.
10.1 have been asked whether I considered Julie Wolstenholme to be one of the
“individuals who, for what ever reason, are resistant to or find it hard to cope
with change”? I do not know Julie Wolstenholme.
11.1 have reviewed the correspondence from 2001 between myself and Lisa
Crabtree from the Financial Services Division of the DSS at POL00095362,
POL00095361, POL00095360 and POL00095359.
12.1 have been asked to explain what prompted the above correspondence, and
in particular what the “errors” being reported were. I can not recall what this
relates to due to the passage of time.
13.1 do not recall what had caused the “errors” due to the passage of time.
14.1 have been asked what the checks of the accounts done by “Chesterfield”
(understood to be where the Product, Branch & Accounting team, later the
Financial Services Unit, was based) show. I cannot recall this due to the
passage of time.
15.1 cannot recall whether the “former subpostmistress” referred to by me in my
letter dated 17 July 2011 is Ms Wolstenholme.
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16.As to the “difficulties” being experienced by Ms Wolstenholme in operating the
Horizon system, I cannot recall what this matter was about now due to the
passage of time.
17.1 have been asked whether the two “under claims” being reported by the DSS
were picked up and rectified by error notices when they occurred by the
relevant accounting team at POL, and if not why. I do not remember how the
under claims were highlighted in the first place due to the passage of time.
18.1 have been asked whether, if such errors were not picked up by a
subpostmaster or the relevant accounting team within POL at the time, the
result might be a balance discrepancy. I do not know the answer to this point.
19.I have been asked whether any other “errors” linked to the Horizon system
were reported to me by the DSS when I held the role of Client Manager. I
have no such details.
Other involvement in the Cleveleys case
20.1 have been asked to explain any other involvement in or knowledge I had
about the circumstances which led to the suspension of Ms Wolstenholme
and / or the case of The Post Office v Mrs J Wolstenholme. I have no
knowledge.
21.1 have been asked to consider the memo to Tina Davis, Network Trading
dated 12 March 2001 (POL00095364) and her response dated 13 March
2001 (POL00095363). I have been asked whether the Tim Bentley involved in
this correspondence me, and if so, to explain the request I made for
information and what I understood from the information provided in response.
I am the Tim Bentley in the memo dated 13th March 2001, however, I can not
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recollect, due to the passage of time, the request for information, however,
assume it is related to the enquiry from the Benefits Agency.
22.1 can not recall what concerns, if any, I had to the press article about the
Cleveleys Post Office due to the passage of time.
23.Due to the passage of time I do not recall whether the matter came up at the
Service Review Meeting in April however or what was discussed, however it
may have come up.
Knowledge of bugs, errors and defects in the Horizon system
24.1 have been asked whether I had, or whether I was aware of, any concerns
regarding the robustness of the Horizon IT system during my time working for
the Post Office. I did not work directly on the Horizon system, and have no
opinion.
Other matters
25. There are no other matters that I could bring to the Inquiry.
STATEMENT OF TRUTH
I believe the contents of this statement to be true.
TIMOTHY NEWELL BENTLEY
Dated: 19 May 2023
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Index to First Witness Statement of Timothy Newell Bentley
URN
Document Description
Control Number
POL00095371
Letter from Angela Smith to Tim
Bentley re: Closure of the Post
Office in Runnymede Avenue,
Cleveleys, Lancashire
(10.01.2001)
POL-0094954
POL00095372
Letter from Angela Smith to Tim
Bentley re: Closure of the Post
Office in Runnymede Avenue,
Cleveleys, Lancashire
(11.01.2001)
POL-0094955
POL00095370
Letter from Tim Bentley to
Angela Smith re: Closure of
Post Office in Runnymede
Avenue, Cleveleys, Lancs
(16.01.2001)
POL-0094953
POL00095362
Letter from Lisa Crabtree to Tim
Bentley re: Cleveleys SPSO
(14.03.2001)
POL-0094945
POL00095361
Letter from Lisa Crabtree to Tim
Bentley re: Cleveleys SPSO
(16.05.2001)
POL-0094944
POL00095360
Letter from Tim Bentley to Lisa
Crabtree re: Cleveleys Post
Office (11.06.2001)
POL-0094943
POL00095359
Letter from Tim Bentley to Lisa
Crabtree re: Cleveleys Post
Office (17.07.2001)
POL-0094942
POL00095364
Letter from Tim Bentley to Tina
Davis re: Thornton Cleaveleys
Sub Post Office - West Lancs
Gazette Newspaper Feature
(12.03.2001)
POL-0094947
POL00095363
Electronic memo from Tina
Davis to Tim Bentley re:
Cleaveleys MSPO- West Lancs
Gazette article (13.03.2001)
POL-0094946
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