Sir Alan Bates Settles Post Office Claim

Sir Alan Bates has reached a settlement with the UK government over the Post Office Horizon scandal, with media reports suggesting a payout of £4m–£5m though the exact sum has not been confirmed. Bates led a group of 555 subpostmasters whose 2019 High Court case found Fujitsu’s Horizon software faulty, and a public inquiry later concluded roughly 900–1,000 wrongful prosecutions occurred between 1999 and 2015. The Department for Business and Trade confirmed his claim is settled and said more than £1.2bn has now been paid to over 9,000 victims. Bates has criticised earlier compensation offers—saying a spring “take it or leave it” offer was about 49.2% of his original claim—and reports suggest his original claim may have been around £10m, implying the agreed settlement is substantially lower than he sought. His long campaign, highlighted in ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office and recognised with a knighthood for services to justice, helped expose miscarriages of justice, but many victims remain frustrated by delays and controversy around redress.