Post Office Inquiry cost exceeds £50m – so why are so many postmasters still awaiting compensation?
Newly published documents have revealed that in the year to 31st March 2024 the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry cost £26.2m. Add to this the £22 million previously spent and the costs since March, and we have an eye watering sum.
And yet despite the Inquiry’s interim report in July addressing issues of compensation for victims, Sir Alan Bates is still having to make repeated pleas to the government for faster compensation payments for postmasters impacted.
The compensation scheme was recently described by lawyers as a “DIY questionnaire” and “a system is designed to wear people down”.
Public inquiries play a crucial role in understanding the causes of tragic events and preventing them from happening again. But their role is undermined by inaction, leaving many calling into question the value of such a huge expenditure of public funds.
