Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry: findings and what happened next
The prosecution of sub-postmasters based on data from the Post Office's Horizon IT system, and redress for those affected.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Type
- public inquiry
- Chaired by
- Sir Wyn Williams
- Report published
- 8 July 2025
- Recommendations
- 19
Implementation, as of 8 July 2026The government accepted all but one of the Horizon related Volume 1 recommendations in October 2025 and redress schemes are paying out. The remaining volumes of the final report were not yet published as of July 2026.
What the inquiry found
- Volume 1 found that a number of Post Office employees knew, or at the very least should have known, that Legacy Horizon was capable of error.5,9,8
- Volume 1 found that Horizon Online was "afflicted by bugs, errors and defects" and that a number of Fujitsu and Post Office employees knew this.5,9
- The report found that at least 13 people may have taken their own lives after being accused of wrongdoing.5,8
- The chair said many claims in the Horizon Shortfall Scheme between 20,000 and 60,000 pounds were likely assessed at sums which were not full and fair, and criticised the Post Office and the Department for egregious delays.6
Key recommendations
- Volume 1 made 19 recommendations, including that the government define what full and fair financial redress means.6,8,5
- The interim report on compensation was published on 17 July 2023.1
What happened next
- The government introduced the Post Office (Horizon System) Compensation Bill to allow Group Litigation Order scheme payments after the 7 August 2024 deadline.3
- Parliament passed the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024, which quashes convictions for certain offences connected to Horizon.4
- The government accepted all but one of the Horizon related recommendations in Volume 1, set a 31 January 2026 closing date for new Horizon Shortfall Scheme applications and said over 993 million pounds had been paid in the previous 15 months.2
- The chair said he was still some months from completing the remaining volumes, and that Volumes 2 to 5 would be published together.7
Read the report: www.postofficehorizoninquiry.org.uk/publications
Sources
- Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, Reports and statements (9 July 2025)
- UK Government (GOV.UK), Government responds to Horizon Inquiry report recommendations (9 October 2025)
- UK Government (GOV.UK), Government introduces new Post Office Compensation Bill (29 November 2023)
- legislation.gov.uk, Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024 (2024)
- Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, Volume 1 of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry's final report (8 July 2025)
- Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, Sir Wyn's address after publishing Volume 1 of his final report (8 July 2025)
- Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, Progress update from Sir Wyn Williams (8 July 2026)
- ITV News, Post Office Inquiry, Horizon scandal drove 13 people to suicide, report finds (8 July 2025)
- The Register, Post Office and Fujitsu execs should have known Horizon IT system was flawed (8 July 2025)