Exclusive:Post Office scandal: sub-postmasters at risk of suicide in compensation ‘battle’, campaigners tell government

The government has been warned that some vulnerable sub-postmasters could be at risk of suicide due to the slow pace of compensation payments, NationalWorld can reveal.

MPs and campaigners have expressed concern at the mental toll the process is taking on the former Post Office branch managers caught up in the scandal. More than 900 sub-postmasters were given criminal convictions after faulty Fujitsu accounting software called Horizon made it appear as though money was missing from their shops.

Many more were left destitute as the Post Office relentlessly pursued them, claiming there were no issues with its computer system. One of the most tragic aspects of what has been described as the UK's “biggest miscarriage of justice” was that at least four sub-postmasters took their own lives after being accused of stealing. 

Dad-of-two Martin Griffiths, 59, was one of the four suicides which are thought to be linked to the Horizon scandal. His death, in 2013 while he was falsely suspected of financial wrongdoing, was highlighted by the hit ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office.

Now there are worries this tragedy could be repeated during the sluggish compensation process. NationalWorld can reveal that former sub-postmaster and campaigner Chris Head, 36, met with Post Office Minister Kevin Hollinrake and other officials last month to warn them of his concerns around victims’ mental health and potential suicide risk. He wants more safeguarding checks to be put in place when compensation is offered.

Head, who was the UK’s youngest sub-postmaster in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, was under criminal and civil investigation after the faulty IT system showed cash losses of more than £80,000. He was pulled into the group litigation High Court case with Alan Bates and other sub-postmasters, as highlighted in Mr Bates vs the Post Office.

However, Head says has only been offered 15% of his Group Litigation Order claim by the Department for Business and Trade, and is disputing this with an independent panel. He is worried that similar offers to more vulnerable sub-postmasters could push them to the brink.

“I’m concerned about a small number of sub-postmasters,” Head told NationalWorld. “If you make that offer to them, not knowing that they might kill themselves.

“Some of them have gone to prison, some of them have lost their homes, some of them have family members who don’t speak to them.” He says this is why he warned Hollinrake and other government officials about his concerns in February.

“We are still a long way away from full and fair compensation - that’s just not happening,” Head said. “This is like one big war - I’m having to battle for everything.”

MPs have echoed Head’s concerns around mental health and suicide risk. The SNP’s Marion Fellows, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Post Offices, told NationalWorld: “That’s definitely one of the issues I have raised, as well as Alan Bates and Chris. Every time something else comes out in the press about the Post Office, if a sub-postmaster has been badly affected that only makes it worse.

“The fresh allegations, the fresh evidence and at the moment the government are simply kicking the whole prosecution side of things down the road - saying they’re waiting for Sir Wyn Williams to finish his inquiry.

“There is a real feeling amongst sub-postmasters and MPs that this is a delaying tactic on behalf of Post Office Ltd. The Select Committee heard it could take one to two years to clear up all these claims, that’s absolutely ridiculous.

“One of the other issues of sub-postmasters affected by mental health issues is that because of Horizon they want to settle as soon as possible and as quickly as they can. That’s why a lot of them are taking the £600,000 [up front] offer [for those with criminal convictions] … they’re doing themselves a disservice because they should get far more than that. 

“But you can perfectly understand why someone would do that - they just want it over, they don’t want anything to do with Post Office Ltd. They just want it to end.”

Kevin Hollinrake, the Post Office Minister, told the Commons earlier this week: “It is right that we constantly seek to improve the speed of compensation and to make sure that it is full and fair and is seen to be so.”

He added: “On the Group Litigation Order scheme, for example, 106 full claims have been submitted, 104 offers have been made, and 80 have been accepted without reference to the independent panel, which would tend to indicate that the offers being made are fair.”

The government did not deny safeguarding issues were raised by Head to Hollinrake, with a spokesperson telling NationalWorld: “We are committed to righting the wrongs of the past and ensuring sub-postmasters are rightly compensated for the hardship they have endured. We consider the need for mental health support when assessing claims and provide support for those claimants that need it.”

“The GLO compensation scheme has been designed to treat everyone affected fairly and equally. If any applicant to the GLO scheme feels that they are owed more than is being offered, we are happy to discuss the evidence with their legal advisors. If we can't agree, decisions will be made by an independent panel that includes legal and accountancy experts, who ensure fair redress based on the evidence.”

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Ralph Blackburn is NationalWorld’s politics editor based in Westminster, where he gets special access to Parliament, MPs and government briefings. If you liked this article you can follow Ralph on X (Twitter) here and sign up to his free weekly newsletter Politics Uncovered, which brings you the latest analysis and gossip from Westminster every Sunday morning.