Post Office to Pay £58 million After Legal Challenge
Hundreds of Post Office subpostmasters are hoping for a Christmas payment after the Post Office agreed to pay £58 million in compensation.
The payment is a function of accusations which led, in some situations, to the imprisonment of post office staff.
In excess of 550 subpostmasters brought a class action against the Post Office after it wrongly accused them of theft and false accounting. Accusations which have since been dismissed and the finger of blame has been pointed to the introduction of the Horizon IT system.
Introduced between 1999 and 2000 the system seemingly created anomolies which were falsely identified as fraudulent.
Six lead claimants accused the Post Office of failing to provide adequate training, failing to investigate the cause of alleged shortfalls, and misleading them about the system.
In contrast The Post Office vigorously defended the case, but in early December announced that agreement had been reached which enabled £57.75 million to be spread between 550 claimants on the merits of each of their respective cases.
Seema Misra was sentenced to 15 months in custody after accusations of dishonesty were wrongfully proven. She allegedly stole £78,000 from the West Byfleet post office. She was sent to prison on her my son's 10th birthday and was eight weeks' pregnant at the time.
After her release she told reporters, "I never thought I would go through an experience like this. At what should have been the happiest moment in my life – I was pregnant with my second child – I was in the worst place.
"If I hadn't been pregnant I would have killed myself. I can't work because of the conviction – we are living on one income with two kids. I lost everything. My job. My house. My reputation."
At this point her conviction, along with those of the others, is now being reviewed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
To discuss your legal requirements in further detail please do not hesitate to contact us.
E&K Solicitors
Rusholme
0161 256 3915
Get in touch
with your query or requirements
Rusholme Solicitors
From our offices in Rusholme, our experienced solicitors can assist with the following areas of law;
Conveyancing, crime, licensing advice, motoring offences, personal injury claims, probate, Wills, and more.
Speak to our team for more information
Contact
45 Wilmslow Road,
Rusholme,
Manchester,
M14 5TB
0161 256 3915
Rusholme,
Manchester,
M14 5TB
0161 256 3915