Alan Bates reaches settlement over Post Office Horizon IT scandal

Post Office campaigner Sir Alan Bates has reached a settlement with the government more than 20 years after he launched a campaign for justice for victims of the Horizon scandal.

Sir Alan led a group of 555 sub-postmasters involved in a landmark case against the Post Office.

The amount paid to Sir Alan was not made public.

Between 1999 and 2015, more than 900 postmasters were prosecuted without merit after a faulty Horizon IT system showed deficiencies in Post Office branch accounts.

In order to avoid investigation, hundreds of people transferred their savings to their branches to close obvious gaps.

Marriages have broken down, and some families believe the stress leads to serious health problems, addiction, and even premature death.

A Department for Business and Trade spokesman said: “We pay tribute to Sir Alan Bates for his long history of campaigning on behalf of victims.

“We can confirm that Sir Alan’s claim has reached the end of the planning process and has been resolved.”

As of September 2025, more than 9,100 sub-postmasters have been awarded a total of £1.23 billion.

Sir Alan first received a compensation offer in January 2024, which he rejected, calling it “cruel and cynical”.

In May 2024, he was made another offer for about a third of what he wanted. In May of this year, it said it received a third offer for less than 50% of its original request.

Sir Alan was part of the Class Action Order compensation scheme under which claimants could receive £75,000 or seek their own settlement.

The Post Office/Horizon scandal reached new heights in public opinion last year After Sir Alan’s campaign for justice was portrayed in the ITV drama series Mr Bates Against the Post Office.

The government accepted all but one of the recommendations in a report published after a meeting. query into the scandal.

The investigation detailed the human impact of the scandal for the first time: The report stated that more than 13 people may have committed suicide as a result of what happened to them.

Earlier this year Sir Alan accused the government of offering a “take it or leave it” compensation offer that amounted to less than half of his demand.

Many victims have previously complained that they were forced to accept low compensation offers without legal assistance.

Last month the government announced that all victims seeking compensation will now be entitled to free legal advice to assist them with their bids.

There are four different compensation schemes for different groups of victims.

Individual eligibility for compensation depends on the specific circumstances of each case.

However, the plans were criticized for being too slow and complex; Many of the worst-hit victims received much less than their original demands.