Janet Skinner, a victim of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, has been offered only 15% of her compensation claim after suffering severe health issues related to her wrongful conviction. In 2007, she was sentenced to nine months in prison for false accounting, as defective software indicated that £59,000 was missing from her branch account in Hull. Despite a recent offer of financial redress, Skinner expressed distress over the inadequate amount, referring to it as “trauma on top of trauma.”
Her legal representative, Simon Goldberg, stated that high-value claims like Skinner’s face significant challenges, claiming that the response to her case has been particularly harsh. Skinner, a mother of two, experienced a neurological collapse after being pursued for unpaid “proceeds of crime,” leading to paralysis and extended mobility issues. Although her conviction was overturned in 2021, the preparation for her claim has been lengthy, requiring multiple medical reports.
While the total amount of her claim remains undisclosed, key points of contention include loss of earnings and future care costs. The Department for Business and Trade, which now oversees compensation for affected sub-postmasters, has indicated that they strive to offer fair settlements. However, they also noted that independent dispute resolution processes are available for dissatisfied claimants.
More than £1 billion has been distributed to over 8,000 victims since the scandal was revealed, predominantly in fixed compensation amounts. Allegations exist that government and Post Office legal teams are intentionally delaying complex claims to diminish payouts, a claim the government denies. Goldberg has called for political intervention to expedite resolutions for victims like Skinner, who is prepared to escalate her case to court if a satisfactory settlement is not reached.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5jqxjqj0eo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss