LONDON, April 21 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

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Redress scheme forgroupofpostmasters whowonHorizon court battle in 2019to close inDecember.

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Follows commitment by ministers to resolve all group cases in 2026.

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Announcement comes alongside closure of scheme for financial losses not caused by faulty Horizon software.

The Governmenthastodayconfirmedthat the Group Litigation Order (GLO) Compensation Scheme will close to new applications on 31 July 2026, witha view tothe scheme concluding on 31 December 2026.

TheGLOscheme, which launched in March 2023, provides redress tounconvictedsubpostmasterswho were part of the Group Litigation Order against the Post Office, which took place between2017and2019following theHorizon IT scandal.Asof31 March 2026,almost90%of claimants have receivedfinalredress,with£223mpaid out to claimants to date.

Latelast year,ministers made a commitment to the Business and Trade Select Committee to bring closure to GLO victims by the end of 2026. The closure date has been set in consultation with claimants' lawyers,in expectation thatit will help resolve the remaining claims faster. Claimants' lawyers and officials will continueto work closely with those affected to provide anyadditionalsupport necessary, includingprovidingmore time to those who need it.

Post Office Minister Blair McDougall said:

The postmasters in the GLO group were the first to lead the charge forjustice, andthey deserve to see this chapter closed with the full and fair redress they are owed.

Setting these deadlines is about making sure that happens. We are 90% of the way there, and I am determined that the remaining claims are resolved quickly and fairly, with proper support for anyone who needs it.

Sincethe summer of 2024, the government has paid out more than£1.5 billionin redresstoover12,000claimantsaffected by the Horizon scandal - more thansix timesthe amount paidbefore then.

The Post Office Process Review (PPR) scheme will also close to new applications on 30 September 2026. Unlike the Horizon-related schemes, PPR provides redress to postmasters who suffered financial losses caused by other Post Office products,policiesor processes.The financial losses being dealt with as part of the PPR scheme are on average significantly lower than in other schemes such as the GLO.

ENDS

Notes to editors

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The GLO Compensation Scheme launched in March 2023 forsubpostmasterswhowere part of the Group Litigation Order against the Post Office.

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TheScheme is open to492 ofthe 555people whobrought theoriginalGLOaction.The remainingpeople(whoare not able toapply forthe GLO schemebecause they hadconvictions)have either already receivedredress or are eligibleto applyvia theHorizonConvictions Redress Scheme.

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Further information on the GLO Compensation Scheme is availableat:www.gov.uk/government/publications/compensation-scheme-for-group-litigation-order-case-postmasters

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Further information on the Post Office Process Review Scheme is available at:Post Office Corporate

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Latest Horizon financial redress data is published at:www.gov.uk/government/publications/post-office-horizon-financial-redress-and-legal-costs-data-for-2026

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.