Horizon Family Members Redress Scheme open for registration

More than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongfully convicted between 1999 and 2015 as a result of apparent financial shortfalls that had been caused by faults in Horizon accounting software.

Following group litigation in the case of Bates & Others v Post Office Ltd, the Horizon Shortfall Scheme was set up to compensate those who had been affected but were not part of the original litigation.

With the passing of time and more compensation paid out, applicants were then able to challenge the award made through the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process from April 2025.

What is the Horizon Family Members Redress Scheme?

While previous schemes have sought to compensate sub-postmasters themselves, this new scheme has been set up for the families of those most deeply affected.

For many families, the impact of the Horizon scandal went far beyond financial loss. It affected wellbeing, family life, stability and opportunities. This scheme is intended to acknowledge that harm and provide a more accessible process for those who may previously have felt overlooked.

There are two potential routes: a fully assessed personal injury claim for those with supporting evidence, and an events-based route for eligible family members where their postmaster relative experienced one of the most serious consequences of the scandal. The qualifying events are:

1. Bankruptcy (including Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) and equivalent procedures used elsewhere in the UK).
2. Malicious prosecution, conviction or imprisonment.
3. Death caused by Horizon

Who is eligible for the scheme?

Registration opened on 16 July 2026, with cases expected to begin being processed later this autumn. Those who may be eligible should consider registering early and gathering the documents needed to support their application.

The Horizon Family Members Redress Scheme is open to the following family members of an affected sub postmaster, who lived with the postmaster continuously for at least a year at the time they were affected by Horizon:

• Spouse (or ex-spouse)
• Partner (or ex-partner)
• Sibling
• Parent
• Child (including stepchildren and adopted children).

If you, someone in your family or someone you know may have been affected and falls into the above criteria, now is the time to look into the scheme.

For advice on eligibility and next steps, please contact Neil Armitage.