A victim of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal who experienced temporary paralysis due to the immense stress of her ordeal has been offered just 15% of her compensation claim.
Janet Skinner was wrongfully convicted of false accounting in 2007 after faulty Horizon software indicated a £59,000 discrepancy at her Hull branch. She subsequently served a nine-month prison sentence.
Ms. Skinner has now received an offer of financial redress, but considers it a fraction of what she is owed. Speaking to the BBC, she described the offer as “trauma on top of trauma,” expressing her profound disappointment.
The government has stated that it strives to provide full and fair compensation offers to all claimants affected by the Horizon scandal.
However, according to Ms. Skinner’s legal representative, the Post Office is contesting “tooth and nail” all high-value and complex claims.
Simon Goldberg, from Simons Muirhead Burton, asserts that “they’ve taken a particularly cruel approach to Janet’s case.”
Ms. Skinner, a mother of two, lost her home and livelihood and served two months in prison due to the wrongful conviction.
A year after her release, she faced further legal action when the Post Office pursued her for failing to pay “proceeds of crime,” potentially leading to another jail sentence.
Shortly after this matter was resolved, she suffered a neurological collapse, resulting in paralysis from the neck down and requiring the use of a wheelchair for a year.
“My immune system had broken down, basically my body attacked itself,” Ms. Skinner explained.
While she has regained the ability to walk after two years of rehabilitation, ongoing health issues and mobility problems have prevented her from returning to work.
“I’m in pain all the time. It’s changed my life completely,” she stated.
She laments the inability to perform everyday tasks due to hand damage. Her son assists with personal care, and she often has to descend stairs on her bottom.
Her conviction was overturned in 2021, but the preparation of her compensation claim has taken over four and a half years, including the submission of five medical reports.
According to her legal team, the Post Office finally accepted these expert reports, which concluded that her ill health was triggered by the extreme stress she endured, during a hearing earlier this year.
The specific amount of Ms. Skinner’s claim has not been disclosed, but it is understood to be substantial.
Mr. Goldberg explained that “the sticking points are almost every element of her claim.”
Key areas of dispute include her loss of earnings and future care costs.
The Department for Business and Trade has assumed responsibility for delivering redress to sub-postmasters whose convictions were overturned, including Ms. Skinner.
A spokesperson stated that the department does not comment on individual cases but strives to make full and fair offers. An independent dispute resolution process is available for applicants dissatisfied with their offer.
To date, over £1 billion in compensation has been paid to more than 8,000 victims.
The majority of these payouts have been in the form of uncontested fixed sums of either £75,000 or £600,000, depending on the case’s severity.
Settling complex claims has proven more challenging. Victims and their legal teams allege that government and Post Office-appointed lawyers are deliberately prolonging the process to minimize payouts, an accusation ministers consistently deny.
Ms. Skinner’s lawyer claims, “It’s not saving the public purse a penny. It’s actually costing the public purse in the medium term,” arguing that significant legal fees have been incurred by both the large City law firms handling the claims and the victims’ solicitors.
Mr. Goldberg has written to Darren Jones MP, who he says previously championed the cause of wronged sub-postmasters while in opposition and is now a key advisor to the Prime Minister.
“The only way to resolve this is political pressure from the very top,” Mr. Goldberg asserted.
Ms. Skinner has rejected the offer and is prepared to pursue legal action if she does not receive adequate compensation for her suffering.
Get our flagship newsletter with all the headlines you need to start the day. Sign up here.
Fears had been raised following plans by the Post Office to close its Queensgate branch in Inverness.
Roopie Gill says she hopes to honour her late dad by putting the Horizon scandal behind her.
This is the first time full details of a complex claim for compensation have been made public.
The future of four Post Office branches in Leeds has been decided under restructuring plans.
The branch on Islingword Road shut is doors when its postmaster resigned and handed back the keys.