Subpostmasters are currently facing unresolved disputes regarding debts owed to the Post Office, coupled with ongoing, unexplained account shortfalls, as highlighted by the CEO of the National Federation of Subpostmasters (NFSP) during a public inquiry.
In the most recent session of the final phase of the Post Office Horizon scandal inquiry, Callum Greenhow, NFSP CEO, emphasized that the Post Office continues to assume the role of judge, jury, and executioner concerning these unexplained discrepancies. “Subpostmasters are still reporting losses—while they receive letters indicating a debt, these are not outright demands for payment. We need the Post Office to resolve these issues transparently rather than allowing them to drag on indefinitely. Some cases have lingered for years without resolution,” he stated.
This latest testimony comes on the heels of a survey conducted among over 1,000 current subpostmasters, which revealed that more than half are facing unexplained accounting discrepancies linked to the contentious Horizon IT system used in their branches. The YouGov survey commissioned by the public inquiry found that 57% of current subpostmasters have encountered unexplained shortfalls. Among these, 19% reported unexplained transactions, and 14% experienced missing transactions. Notably, since January 2020, 69% of subpostmasters surveyed have faced discrepancies tied to the Horizon system, with three-quarters resorting to using their own branch funds to address these issues.
The survey also indicated that nearly half (48%) of the respondents expressed dissatisfaction with how discrepancies were resolved, in stark contrast to 19% who were satisfied. Additionally, 49% of subpostmasters voiced dissatisfaction with the current functionality of the Horizon IT system, with 25% indicating they were “very dissatisfied.”
Greenhow called on the government to conduct a thorough review of the hardware, software, telecommunications, processes, and practices associated with Fujitsu and the Post Office. “However, there is reluctance to pursue this, as the Post Office maintains that Horizon is robust,” he noted, explaining that during discussions with officials from the Department of Business and Trade, he was informed that the Post Office advocates the reliability of the Horizon system.
During the hearing, Greenhow reiterated his assertion that he and other subpostmasters were misled by senior executives, including Nick Read, regarding the in-house development of a new replacement platform for Horizon, known as New Branch IT (NBIT). He remarked that the “Post Office is unable to act appropriately” and continues to operate under the presumption that subpostmasters are guilty until proven innocent.
As highlighted by Computer Weekly in May, Greenhow reported that he and fellow subpostmasters had been misinformed about the NBIT project’s progress. Although Post Office executives claimed satisfaction with NBIT’s development, Computer Weekly revealed the following day that the project required £1 billion in funding and had been deemed “unachievable” by government auditors. Greenhow further noted that the NFSP has not received the desired updates related to the NBIT program, as the Post Office’s head of IT has been absent from meetings aimed at providing updates to the group.
The Post Office scandal was initially uncovered by Computer Weekly in 2009, spotlighting the stories of seven subpostmasters who suffered due to the Horizon accounting software, ultimately resulting in one of the most significant miscarriages of justice in British history (see below for a timeline of Computer Weekly articles covering the scandal since 2009).
– Also read: What you need to know about the Horizon scandal
– Also watch: ITV’s documentary – Mr Bates vs The Post Office: The real story
– Also read: Post Office and Fujitsu malevolence and incompetence leads to substantial taxpayer costs