Home / Crime and Justice / Postmaster's 20-Year Wait for Scandal Compensation
Postmaster's 20-Year Wait for Scandal Compensation
21 Mar
Summary
- A former sub-postmaster is still awaiting compensation after 20 years.
- He personally covered over £43,000 due to system errors.
- Thousands still await payouts; some claimants have died.
Cled Jones, a 73-year-old former sub-postmaster, has endured a 20-year struggle for compensation following the Horizon IT scandal. While managing a post office in Gwynedd, Wales, he personally paid out more than £43,000 due to false deficit reports from the faulty computer system over 14 years. Discrepancies were first noted in 2006, leading to payments to avoid imprisonment.
The Post Office states it is processing applications as rapidly as possible, reporting that 87% of eligible individuals have received compensation offers totaling £882 million. However, Jones's case exemplifies the prolonged wait, with his lawyer indicating the offered sum was insufficient to cover his losses. The emotional toll on him and his wife, Susan, remains significant, with ongoing scrutiny over his claim causing distress.
Thousands of others are reportedly still awaiting financial resolution, and tragically, some claimants have died before their compensation was settled. The Post Office has committed to reviewing recommendations from a committee of MPs and continuing collaboration with the Department for Business and Trade to address these outstanding cases.
