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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchIf you accepted the Horizon Shortfall Scheme’s (HSS) £75,000 Fixed Sum Offer and believe it did not fairly reflect your losses, a new route is planned to ask for permission to appeal. As of 8 October 2026, it is not open: the official guide says it will open later in 2026 and tells claimants not to send registrations or documents yet. Permission would allow a case to be reconsidered; it would not guarantee a higher award.
Who the new appeal route is for
The route is specifically for people who accepted the HSS Fixed Sum Offer (FSO) of £75,000 and believe they were under-settled. It is not a general reopening of the Horizon Shortfall Scheme or a new appeal right for every person affected by the Post Office scandal. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) says an independent assessor will consider whether there is a real prospect that accepting the offer resulted in an under-settlement. Read the official guide.
The process has two stages: first, seek permission for the case to be reconsidered; if permission is granted, the case can then go through HSS Appeals. Passing the first stage is not a decision that the original settlement was unfair and does not promise additional compensation.
Is the process open now?
No. The official guide says the permission process will open later in 2026, but does not give an exact date. It also instructs claimants not to send registrations or supporting documents before the process goes live. Check the current DBT guidance for an opening notice rather than sending information early.
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What protection and legal support are announced?
DBT says it will fund reasonable legal advice for a claimant considering permission to appeal. Its 20 May 2026 announcement also says an applicant will not risk receiving less than the £75,000 already paid through the FSO. That protection is described for this new FSO route; it should not be assumed to apply to other redress schemes. The announcement encourages claimants to seek legal advice while the final process details are awaited. Read DBT’s announcement.
How this differs from existing HSS Appeals
HSS Appeals is already open to eligible claimants. It is separate from the new permission gateway for people who accepted the FSO: that gateway is intended to let a qualifying claimant ask for their case to enter reconsideration through HSS Appeals. The scheme guide sets out the existing appeals process and eligibility. HSS Appeals guidance.
Which redress route may fit your history?
These arrangements cover different claimant groups and are not interchangeable. HSS closed to new applications on 31 January 2026, although existing claims and appeals continue under their relevant processes. See the HSS scheme information.
| Claim history | Relevant route or status | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Accepted the HSS £75,000 Fixed Sum Offer and believe it undervalued losses | New FSO permission-to-appeal process, announced but not yet open as of 8 October 2026 | An independent assessor applies the real-prospect-of-under-settlement threshold. Permission enables reconsideration; it does not guarantee a larger award. |
| Has an eligible HSS claim or an HSS appeal already in progress | Existing HSS claims and HSS Appeals continue under their own processes | HSS stopped accepting new applications on 31 January 2026. |
| Was part of the 2019 Group Litigation Order (GLO) group and was not convicted | The GLO redress arrangements are separate | Eligibility depends on the claimant’s facts and the terms of that route. |
| Had a Post Office-related conviction | Conviction-related arrangements include the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme and the earlier Overturned Convictions Scheme | These are not the HSS FSO appeal route; the government cautions that people will not receive redress through multiple schemes. |
The HSS was designed for eligible current or former postmasters who were not part of the GLO group and did not have a criminal conviction. For an overview of the distinct government redress schemes and their eligibility, see the government’s Horizon compensation factsheet.
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What the published payment figures mean
The figures below describe different populations and payment categories, so they should not be combined into one total:
- The National Audit Office reported that 11,067 claimants had received a final payment across Horizon schemes as of January 2026. This is a dated, cross-scheme count, not an October 2026 total. NAO report.
- DBT said on 20 May 2026 that more than £940 million had been paid to over 11,000 HSS claimants. This is the HSS-specific cumulative figure reported on that date. DBT announcement.
- DBT also reported £11 million in award uplifts through the DBT-run HSS Appeals scheme as of 20 May 2026. That figure is for appeals uplifts, not all compensation. DBT announcement.
Criminal conviction appeals are a different process
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) refers potential miscarriages of justice to appeal courts; it does not decide financial settlement appeals. Its Post Office page reports 77 Horizon conviction referrals and 69 convictions overturned to date. Those figures concern criminal convictions, not HSS Fixed Sum Offers. CCRC: Post Office Horizon cases.
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