Post Office to engage in negotiations during HSSA appeal period
During the nine-month period afforded to claimants to submit an appeal to the Department in HSSA, the Post Office shall engage in negotiations and/or mediation with any claimants who notify the Post Office of a desire to seek a negotiated or mediated settlement of their claim.
How was this assessed?
Response
Accepted
Response
AcceptedDepartment for Business and Trade accepts this recommendation. Rather than a 9-month period, DBT has implemented a 3-month notification deadline for claimants to indicate their intent to appeal, with subsequent deadlines for submission of full papers. During this period, Post Office will engage in good faith negotiations and/or mediation with any claimants who notify of a desire to seek a negotiated or mediated settlement. Escalation meetings are available where agreement cannot be reached.
Progress Timeline
In light of concerns raised by claimants' representatives, DBT had agreed prior to the publication of the Inquiry report that instead of a 9 month period for claimants to submit a full appeal, there should be a 3 month deadline to notify DBT of an intention to appeal. There will then be a further deadline for the submission of a full claim within six months of full disclosure being received from Post Office. DBT has applied the recommendation as fully as possible in the new context. Claimants will therefore be able to engage in Good Faith or Escalation Meetings with the Post Office during the 3 month period whilst they decide whether to register for HSSA. More information about the timelines for registration can be found in table 1 of the eligibility section of the HSS Appeals guidance and principles https://www.gov.uk/guidance/horizon-shortfall-scheme-appeals-process-guidance-and-principles#eligibility
Verification: Government published formal response to Volume 1 recommendations on 13 October 2025, accepting 17 of 18 recommendations. Total compensation paid across all schemes: £1.38 billion as of December 2025. Volume 2 of Final Report expected 2026.
Published Evidence
Published assessments of implementation progress from inspectorates, select committees, official progress reports, and other sources. Check the source type badge to see whether each assessment is independent or government self-reported.
Business and Trade Select Committee noted the government implemented a 3-month notification deadline rather than the 9-month appeal period recommended. The committee questioned whether this gave claimants sufficient time to consider their options before committing.
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.