The government is stepping up to address the financial injustices faced by subpostmasters who experienced unexplained losses with the older Capture accounting system. This system, used in the 1990s, was the precursor to the notorious Horizon system, which led to a massive scandal that resulted in countless wrongful accusations and convictions.
Subpostmasters bore the brunt of shortfalls generated by software errors, even facing criminal charges. In September, after a long fight for recognition, users of Capture learned the government plans to act on findings from Kroll’s investigation. That report indicated a strong possibility that Capture caused significant accounting losses. Business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds acknowledged the vital role of postmaster testimonies in unveiling these issues and urged anyone affected to reach out.
The Capture system has become intertwined with the Horizon scandal, which erupted when the Horizon system was rolled out in 1999. In a landmark High Court ruling in 2019, it was established that the Horizon system was indeed responsible for these unexplained shortfalls. This led to devastating consequences for many subpostmasters—financial ruin from repaying non-existent losses and wrongful convictions, with over 100 individuals jailed. This case is now recognized as one of the largest miscarriages of justice in UK history.
Recent media attention, including an ITV dramatization, has prompted former subpostmasters to share their experiences with the Capture system. Many of them faced prosecution, lost their businesses, and struggled with significant financial hardship due to the flawed software.
While around 2,000 branches used Capture, gathering data on the full extent of its impact proves challenging since most users engaged with it over three decades ago—and some are no longer living. The government responded swiftly to recent outcries, showing a willingness to learn from the past unlike the two-decade delay in acknowledging Horizon’s issues. About 80 former Capture users have already sought assistance from Hudgell Solicitors for various claims, including wrongful convictions and financial ruin.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is also looking into convictions linked to Capture software evidence. It took years and court rulings for Horizon-related convictions to be overturned, with those efforts only overtaking issues stemming from Capture now. The Horizon advisory group has urged the government to take legislative steps to overturn any convictions tied to the flawed system.
However, the government remains unsure about the exact number of prosecutions that stem from Capture. This uncertainty complicates matters for claimants trying to validate their claims. Post Office minister Gareth Thomas emphasized the need for speedy justice and the importance of addressing these past mistakes. The Post Office has been tasked with urgently reviewing its records to aid the CCRC.
While the Horizon name is synonymous with this scandal, the real fault lies with the people from the Post Office, Fujitsu, and the civil service who chose to prosecute subpostmasters based on flawed software. The two systems differ in complexity: Capture was consumer software that could be installed on PCs, while Horizon was an enterprise-level system in all branches. However, both revealed troubling patterns in how subpostmasters who faced unexplained losses were treated.
Data shows that prior to Capture’s introduction, investigations into subpostmasters regarding accounting shortfalls were minimal. Yet, after Capture and later Horizon were implemented, these numbers skyrocketed. The increase in convictions post-Horizon mirrors this trend. Additionally, inadequate training was a critical issue for both systems, a repeating failure that contributed to the broader scandal.
The Post Office’s issues first made headlines in 2009, unveiling the distressing stories of subpostmasters struggling with these accounting systems.