Sir Alan Bates has instructed Sky Information that the federal government’s new Seize Redress Scheme is “half-baked”.
The Post Office scandal campaigner, who can also be a sufferer of Seize, accused officers of not studying classes from earlier compensation failures.
Seize was a chunk of defective pc software program utilized in about 2,500 branches between 1992 and 1999 earlier than the notorious Horizon scandal.
Many sub-postmasters made up doubtlessly false accounting shortfalls from their very own pocket, with dozens, no less than, convicted of stealing.
Sir Alan Bates reaches settlement with govt
Sir Alan welcomed the launch of the primary ever Seize Redress Scheme final week “generally”.
Nonetheless, he added: “It does appear to have gone off half-baked with nearly not one of the classes that ought to have been learnt from the failures of the opposite Postmaster Schemes having been utilized when compiling it.”
Sir Alan Bates, who has settled his redress declare with the federal government in reference to Horizon, additionally confirmed he might have been a sufferer of Seize.
He stated: “I’ve documentation which reveals {that a} PC operating Seize was a part of the stock after we bought our sub-post workplace and I do know it was used till it was changed by the notorious Horizon system towards the tip of 2000.”
Regardless of this, Sir Alan stated that – with the data he has in regards to the scheme and making a declare – “it does appear I will not be in a position submit one”.
Will Publish Workplace victims be cleared?
Underneath the present guidelines, it seems claimants should submit a totally itemised declare earlier than the Division for Enterprise and Commerce (DBT) will determine in the event that they qualify – a course of Sir Alan described as “mad”.
“We may spend a 12 months compiling a declare just for the DBT to say we weren’t eligible within the first place.”
He referred to as for a two-stage course of: first to substantiate eligibility, then to permit victims to construct their case with authorized help – a mannequin he says would save time, cash and keep away from pointless authorized prices.
The revelation that Sir Alan might have been a Seize sufferer – and did not realise till afterward – raises contemporary considerations about what number of others stay unaware.
In a press release to Sky Information, a authorities spokesperson stated: “After over twenty years of combating for justice, victims will lastly obtain redress for being impacted by the Seize software program and we pay tribute to all of those that have labored to reveal this scandal.
“All eligible candidates will obtain an interim cost of £10,000. In distinctive circumstances, the unbiased panel can award above £300,000, which isn’t a cap.
“We now have been in touch with Sir Alan’s authorized consultant and stand prepared to offer additional data to assist all claimants.”
‘This ready is simply insufferable’
It comes as paperwork seen by Sky Information counsel that the Publish Workplace knew about faults in Seize pc software program earlier than it was rolled out in 1992.
Notes from a gathering of “the Seize steering group” held in February – months earlier than the system was launched to branches – described recordsdata as being “corrupted”.
It highlighted that: “If the facility was switched off when a file was open it might be corrupted. On this state of affairs knowledge ought to be checked and reinput.”
‘All we would like is her title cleared’
One other fault talked about within the assembly notes was if “a part of the system was closed early, to supply shopper summaries any further transactions may not be captured for that day”.
“If a excessive error fee was detected the software program would have to be reworked.”
A doc referred to as “Seize Troubleshooting Information” from April 1993 – over a 12 months after the steering group famous faults – once more described “corrupt knowledge” similar to incorrect transaction values.
It concluded that the “trigger” of this was “switching off the pc or an influence minimize (even when just for a couple of seconds) while within the Seize programme”.
It additionally put ahead directions to treatment the fault.
Rupert Lloyd-Thomas, campaigner for Seize victims, stated: “The Publish Workplace knew … in 1992, lengthy earlier than the launch, that Seize may very well be zapped by an influence minimize.
“They did nothing about it.”
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Steve Marston
Steve Marston, who was convicted of stealing from his Publish Workplace department in 1998 after utilizing Seize, stated the data “did not come as any shock”.
“They’ve identified for the reason that very starting it ought to by no means have been launched,” he added.
A Publish Workplace spokesperson stated: “We now have been very involved in regards to the reported issues referring to using the Seize software program and are sincerely sorry for previous failings which have precipitated struggling to postmasters.
“In September 2024, Kroll revealed an unbiased report which examined the Seize software program that was utilized in some Publish Workplace branches within the Nineties and we absolutely co-operated with Kroll all through their investigation.
“We’re decided that previous wrongs are put proper and are persevering with to help the federal government’s work on this space.
“Publish Workplace has very restricted information referring to this method and we encourage anybody who has Seize associated materials to share it with Publish Workplace and the Prison Circumstances Evaluate Fee.”
