Recommendation POH-3: Apply full and fair meaning consistently across all schemes
From Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry: Volume 1 Report, published 8 July 2025.
Recommendation
The Post Office, the Department and the Minister shall ensure that all decision makers in HSS, GLOS and OCS/HCRS apply the meaning to be given to the words "full and fair" when assessing the amounts to be awarded to individual claimants.
In brief (written by this site)
The Inquiry asked that full and fair compensation standards be applied across all redress schemes. In its February 2026 update, published in March 2026, the Cabinet Office reported that the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and Post Office Limited had published a joint statement defining full and fair redress to be applied across all schemes (Cabinet Office, Mar 2026). In January 2026, the Business and Trade Select Committee found that while the agreed definition was referenced in guidance, over 4,000 claimants remained unsettled, raising questions about whether it was consistently applied (Business and Trade Select Committee, Jan 2026).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 5 Oct 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
About this summary
This recommendation applies across many organisations. The record reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.
Government response
Post Office shall ensure that decision makers in the HSS that we administer, including the Independent Assessment Panel, apply the meaning of the words "full and fair" (as set out in our published explanation) when assessing the amounts to be awarded to individual claimants.
DBT accepts this recommendation. Both DBT and Post Office have agreed to this definition, and it is referenced in respective scheme guidance, ensuring that decision makers in the different schemes uphold it. The HSS independent person will ensure that this principle is upheld through the assurance they carry out.
Delivery
Cabinet Office says completed (2 March 2026)
DBT published a joint statement with Post Office explaining what is meant by “full and fair redress” on 9 October 2025. The statement will be applied by the Post Office and DBT in relation to all schemes.
From: Post Office (Horizon) Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, February 2026 (data file)
Published evidence
Published findings referenced by inspectorates, select committees, official progress reports, and other sources. Source type badge indicates whether the finding is independent or government self-reported. Each finding is this site's summary of what the source found, with a link to the source; this site does not add its own progress rating.
Summary by this site of the published finding
Business and Trade Select Committee found that DBT and Post Office had agreed to the "full and fair" definition and referenced it in scheme guidance. However, over 4,000 claimants remained unsettled, raising questions about consistent application across schemes.
View detailed findings
Business and Trade Committee held an evidence session on 6 January 2026 with witnesses from Fujitsu, the CCRC, DBT and MoJ. The CCRC revealed Horizon software may have been installed earlier than previously believed, potentially expanding the pool of eligible convictions. Over 4,000 claimants were still awaiting final settlement across all schemes at that date. Government accepted only 3 of 17 committee recommendations in full.
Source
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Post Office Ltd
Response - Department for Business and Trade
Response - Cabinet Office
Delivery statement