Evidence presented to Parliament shows that some Post Office Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) claimants received offers far below amounts later reached through the separate Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals (HSSA) process. One claimant’s £20,000 HSS offer was followed by an £854,000 HSSA award. These are stark individual examples, not proof that every claimant was underpaid or a measure of the total shortfall across all victims.
What the evidence shows about compensation offers
In its 2026 report, the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee cited cases in which claimants challenged HSS outcomes through HSSA and received substantially higher awards. The examples demonstrate that some initial offers were disputed and later reassessed; they do not establish how common such differences were or the average amount by which a claimant may have been short-changed.
| HSS offer or award | Later HSSA outcome | What the example represents |
|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | £854,000 | HSS offer followed by an HSSA award |
| £400,000 | £1.4 million | Offer increased after HSSA reassessment |
| £118,000 | £1.15 million | Offer increased after HSSA reassessment |
| £467,000 | £1.8 million | HSS award increased on appeal |
These case examples were reported to the Committee; they are not a statistical sample. The published evidence cited here does not calculate an overall compensation deficit for all victims. Reaching such a figure would require claim-level comparisons of losses and final redress, not simply adding the differences in selected cases. House of Commons Business and Trade Committee report, 2026.
HSS delays exceeded the stated targets
The Committee reported that fully assessed HSS claims took an average of 450 days to receive a first offer, compared with a 180-day target. After a claimant accepted an offer, payment took a further average of 44 days, against a 28-day target. These figures concern fully assessed HSS claims, not every claim type or the separate HSSA appeals process. House of Commons Business and Trade Committee report, 2026.
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
HSSA was a separate stage: according to the Committee, HSS claimants could not use it until they had first received an HSS offer. Legal representatives told the Committee that navigating the two stages could mean waiting “two or three years.” That was the representatives’ description, not a measured duration for every claimant.
Which compensation scheme is involved?
Several distinct schemes address different groups and stages. Their claim and payment totals should not be treated as interchangeable: an HSS-only total is not the same as a total across Horizon-related schemes, and an offer, an accepted offer, a claim received and money paid are different measures.
| Scheme | Who it concerns | Administrator and status |
|---|---|---|
| Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) | Current and former postmasters who believe they experienced shortfalls related to previous versions of Horizon | Post Office says the scheme closed to new applications on 31 January 2026; eligible applications submitted in time continue to progress. |
| Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals (HSSA) | HSS claimants challenging an HSS outcome | A separate appeals process run by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). |
| Group Litigation Order (GLO) scheme | Eligible claimants from the group litigation | A separate Horizon-related redress route. |
| Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) | People whose relevant Horizon-related convictions have been overturned or quashed under applicable legislation | A separate redress scheme. |
Historical HSS rules also matter when interpreting earlier claimant experiences, but they are not current eligibility guidance. Sir Wyn Williams’s Volume 1 report records that the scheme initially required proof of ill health or financial hardship for an interim payment, which was capped at £10,000. The hardship requirement was removed in October 2022 after the Post Office accepted it was unsustainable. The report also records that HSS payments were taxable for approximately the first three years, before legislative tax changes. Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, Volume 1 report.
What the latest published figures say—and when
The figures below describe different schemes and use different reporting dates. The independent progress report was updated on 6 October 2026, but its claim figures are correct as at 26 June 2026. HSS payment totals come from separate sources and have their own cutoffs.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches| Scheme or measure | Published figure | Source and cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| HSS payments | More than £1,055 million paid through the scheme | Post Office reporting as at 31 August 2026. |
| HSS payments, including interim payments | About £943 million paid | DBT dataset as at 30 April 2026; a different cutoff from the Post Office figure. |
| HSS fixed-sum awards | About £629 million paid to 8,394 claimants | DBT dataset as at 30 April 2026. |
| HSS top-ups | About £119 million paid to previously settled claimants | DBT dataset as at 30 April 2026. |
| GLO claims | 485 of 492 eligible claimants had submitted full claims; offers had been issued on 483, and 452 claims were resolved through accepted offers | Independent progress report, figures as at 26 June 2026. |
| HCRS claims | 529 full and final claims received; offers accepted on 501 | Independent progress report, figures as at 26 June 2026. |
| HSSA appeals | Required information received for 110 appeals; offers made on 67, with 22 accepted | Independent progress report, figures as at 26 June 2026; it also notes continuing disagreement between DBT and claimants’ representatives over some common heads of loss. |
| Redress across three Horizon-related schemes | Approximately £1.44 billion distributed to more than 11,300 claimants; 1,528 individuals were awaiting an offer and 2,434 had yet to receive full redress | House of Commons Business and Trade Committee, as at 31 January 2026. |
The Post Office’s HSS figure is its own reporting, while DBT’s HSS dataset is an earlier snapshot. They should not be added together or presented as though they shared a cutoff or definition. The Committee’s three-scheme totals likewise cannot be compared directly with an HSS-only payment figure. Sources: Post Office HSS page; DBT HSS dataset; independent scheme progress report; House of Commons Business and Trade Committee report.
What claimants can conclude from these figures
The evidence supports a limited but important conclusion: some HSS offers were substantially lower than later HSSA outcomes, and Parliament heard that fully assessed HSS claims took longer than the stated targets for both first offers and payment after acceptance. It does not show that every offer was inadequate, establish a typical uplift on appeal, or quantify the aggregate amount victims were short-changed.
Rank #4
For people considering an application, the HSS closure date is material: Post Office says it stopped accepting new applications on 31 January 2026, while timely applications continue to be processed. Scheme totals and status counts are snapshots, not a final audit of each claimant’s losses or a determination of any individual claim. Post Office HSS information.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why speed and truthful answers mattered
The Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry’s chair, Sir Wyn Williams, described the urgency facing those affected: “People have waited long enough to hear the truth about events that had such adverse consequences on their lives. So, I am determined to provide answers to those directly affected as swiftly as possible.” Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
