There have been 983 convictions – 700 of which were privately initiated by the Post Office – linked to the faulty Horizon IT programme.
People whose convictions are quashed can apply to the Overturned Convictions Scheme, whether or not they are in the GLO group. It is this scheme that the government has taken over responsibility for from the Post Office.
A total of 111 people have had their convictions overturned as of 31 January. But when the government’s promised law to overturn all convictions linked to the scandal becomes a reality, hundreds more people will be eligible.
Those whose convictions are overturned can choose to take a fast-tracked £600,000 settlement. Or they can enter into negotiations if they feel they are entitled to more.
All eligible people are entitled to an “interim” payment while their final settlements are processed. The government has provided funding to the Post Office for these payments.
For those people whose conviction is overturned through the new law, they can register for the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme.
This will entitle them to an initial £200,000 interim payment. They can then decide to accept £600,000 or have their case fully reviewed.
As of 31 January, external, £65m has been paid out under this scheme including further interim payments.
The latest figures show that out of 111 eligible claimants in the OCS scheme, 82 claims for full and final settlements have been made with 66 paid out.
A further seven have received offers. The remaining nine are awaiting offers from Post Office Ltd.
