About the Document
This is Volume 1 of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry Report, written by Sir Wyn Williams as Chair of the Inquiry and published by the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry. It was presented to Parliament under Section 26 of the Inquiries Act 2005, ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on 8 July 2025 (HC 1119), and is dated 6 June 2025. Its subject is the impact of Horizon, the Post Office's IT system, on postmasters and others, and the financial redress provided to them.
Background to Horizon
- Post Office Counters Limited began rolling out Horizon to branches in about September 1999; by about the end of 2001 or early 2002 the process was complete.
- The first version, Legacy Horizon, was developed by ICL Pathway Limited and used until 2010. It was replaced by Horizon Online, and in 2017 by HNG-A, both supplied by Fujitsu.
- The report states that all versions were afflicted by bugs, errors and defects that could produce illusory gains or losses, and that the Post Office maintained that its data was accurate.
Human Impact
The report estimates that about 10,000 eligible claimants are in the redress schemes. It describes suicide, ill health, prosecution, bankruptcy, job loss and family breakdown. It records that at least 59 people contemplated suicide and that 19 people said they abused alcohol because of their experiences. It estimates that approximately 1,000 people were prosecuted and convicted using Horizon evidence, and that 50 to 60 were prosecuted but not convicted. Seventeen Case Illustrations are included, with the chair stating that he makes no factual findings about the individual cases.
Financial Redress
Section 4 covers the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), the Overturned Conviction Scheme (OCS), the Group Litigation Scheme (GLOS) and the Horizon Conviction Redress Scheme (HCRS), along with restorative justice. Section 6 concludes that the meaning of Full and Fair Redress should be clarified, and discusses whether family members should receive redress. The report notes that significant delays in receiving compensation have been described by postmasters.
Methodology and Evidence
The volume is based primarily on oral and written evidence provided in response to formal requests, and on published documents produced mainly by the Post Office and the Department for Business and Trade. It also takes account of non-statutory information from focus groups and the project 'In Your Own Words'. The chair states he considered evidence available up to and including 6 June 2025. He received more than 200 witness statements on human impact, and 74 of those witnesses gave oral evidence in Phase 1.
Key Recommendations
The report makes 19 recommendations. These include a public explanation of 'full and fair financial redress', a right for HSS claimants to funded legal advice before choosing the Fixed Sum Offer, a 'best offer' principle for HSS appeals and GLOS, and a process for financial redress to close family members. It also recommends that a standing public body be established to deliver redress schemes, that a restorative justice report be published by 31 October 2025, and that no HSS claims be entertained after midnight 27 November 2025. Written responses are requested by 10 October 2025.
Purpose of the Report for Horizon Redress
The chair states that the human impact is placed at the forefront of the report to the Minister, and that this volume was published early so that action can be taken as soon as reasonably possible. The report is addressed to the Minister, the Department, the Post Office and Fujitsu, which are asked to respond to its recommendations. The chair notes that he cannot determine civil or criminal liability under the Inquiries Act 2005.