The government is looking into a new plan to help the families of subpostmasters hurt by the Post Office scandal. They want to address some gaps in current support systems, especially for family members affected by the Horizon scandal. Fujitsu just agreed to talk about covering some costs, and they’ll be part of these discussions.
Post Office minister Gareth Thomas acknowledged that the scandal has deeply impacted the children of those affected. He said he’s asked his team to explore a government redress scheme specifically for these family members. He plans to provide an update in the coming months.
If this plan goes through, it would add to the existing three schemes for subpostmasters impacted by Horizon, plus an upcoming one for issues related to Capture software used before Horizon hit the scene in 1999.
A support group named Lost Chances for Subpostmaster Children, created to unite the children of victims, is urging anyone who was affected by their parents’ treatment by the Post Office to step forward. Recently, Gareth Thomas met with representatives from Lost Chances. Rebekah Foot, the group’s chair, described the meeting as encouraging. “We felt truly heard,” she said, noting that the minister approached their concerns with sincerity. Foot emphasized that while no specific schemes exist yet for the children, the government recognizes the importance of the issue.
Katie Downey, whose father was a subpostmaster, founded the Lost Chances group to raise awareness about the hardships faced by affected families. Her motivation came after she read a report on Fujitsu’s boss, Paul Patterson, promising to support victims’ families during a January 2024 inquiry hearing.
During that hearing, when asked by KC Sam Stein about additional support beyond financial reparations, Patterson expressed openness to discussions about helping subpostmasters and their families in future endeavors, including education. Yet a year later, the group is still waiting for real discussions or commitments from Fujitsu.
Fujitsu had not responded to a request for comment by the time this article was published. Foot told Computer Weekly that her group will keep advocating for its members and seeking out others affected by the scandal. She stressed the importance of ensuring the needs of children impacted by this issue are addressed, highlighting her own family’s struggles since her mother, once the youngest subpostmaster, faced serious problems in 2006 and was declared bankrupt in 2014.