Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry

- The recommendation required all HSS claimants to be entitled to funded legal advice prior to choosing between the Fixed Sum Offer and assessed redress.
- The Department for Business and Trade broadly accepted this recommendation on 9 October 2025, but stated that funded legal advice would be provided at the appeal permission stage rather than upfront as recommended (Government response to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry report (volume 1), DBT, 9 October 2025).
- The Business and Trade Select Committee noted the government provides funded legal advice at appeal stage rather than upfront as recommended (Business and Trade Select Committee evidence session, January 2026).
- The Business and Trade Committee report HC 1598 concluded the government had not properly implemented this recommendation, finding that legal advice is not available at the point of decision between Fixed Sum Offer and assessed redress (Business and Trade Committee, HC 1598, March 2026).

- The recommendation called for HSS to be closed to new claims after 27 November 2025.
- The Department for Business and Trade broadly accepted this recommendation on 9 October 2025 and closed the HSS to new claims on 31 January 2026, a later date than specified to allow adequate notice (Government response to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry report (volume 1), DBT, 9 October 2025).
- The Post Office issued reminder letters to outstanding claimants, and DBT published guidance on exceptional cases (Government response to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry report (volume 1), DBT, 9 October 2025).
- The Business and Trade Select Committee confirmed the HSS was closed to new claims on 31 January 2026 (Business and Trade Select Committee evidence session, January 2026).

- The Department for Business and Trade accepted this recommendation in part on 21 September 2023, confirming the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board would consider whether "full and fair compensation is being paid out to applicants" (Government response to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry interim report, DBT, September 2023).
- The Horizon Compensation Advisory Board has published quarterly reports on its monitoring activities, including monitoring individual cases (Horizon Compensation Advisory Board published reports, ongoing).
- The Business and Trade Select Committee heard evidence confirming the Advisory Board was performing this monitoring function (Business and Trade Select Committee evidence session, January 2026).

- The Department for Business and Trade accepted this recommendation in part on 21 September 2023, endorsing the Board's view that it "would not be possible or advisable for us to intervene in individual cases" but confirming the Board's core duty to monitor whether compensation payments are fair and timely (Government response to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry interim report, DBT, September 2023).
- The Horizon Compensation Advisory Board continues to monitor whether compensation payments are fair across all schemes (Horizon Compensation Advisory Board published reports, ongoing).
- The Business and Trade Select Committee heard evidence from the Advisory Board on its monitoring activities (Business and Trade Select Committee evidence session, January 2026).

- The Department for Business and Trade accepted this recommendation in principle on 21 September 2023, stating it was determined to deliver the GLO scheme by August 2024 and would consider bringing forward legislation if the deadline could not be met (Government response to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry interim report, DBT, September 2023).
- The Post Office (Horizon System) Compensation Act 2024 (c. 1) received Royal Assent on 23 January 2024, establishing a statutory framework for the compensation schemes (Post Office (Horizon System) Compensation Act 2024).
- The Business and Trade Select Committee noted the Limitation Act amendment had not been brought forward as a standalone bill as originally recommended (Business and Trade Select Committee evidence session, January 2026).
- The GLO scheme continued operating beyond August 2024 without the specific Limitation Act amendment recommended.

- The Department for Business and Trade accepted this recommendation in part on 21 September 2023, committing to discuss and agree a closing date with the Post Office, with the Advisory Board consulted before any date was set (Government response to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry interim report, DBT, September 2023).
- The HSS closing date was subsequently set as 31 January 2026, superseding this interim recommendation through the Volume 1 recommendation POH-15 (Government response to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry report (volume 1), DBT, 9 October 2025).
- The HSS closed to new claims on 31 January 2026 as confirmed by the Business and Trade Select Committee (Business and Trade Select Committee evidence session, January 2026).