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You may be able to register for financial redress if you were wrongly convicted of a crime because of the Horizon IT system used by the Post Office. This means you鈥檒l be paid for your losses.

What you鈥檒l get

You could get a fixed total sum of 拢600,000. This will be made up of a preliminary payment of 拢200,000, then a second and final payment of 拢400,000.

You may get a different amount if you choose to have a detailed assessment of your case.听

If you live in the UK, you do not need to pay tax on any payments you get from the HCRS. They will not impact any benefits you receive.

Eligibility

You鈥檙e eligible for the HCRS if you鈥檝e had a conviction quashed (which means it has been overturned) by either the:

You may get a letter telling you your conviction has been quashed from the:

• Ministry of Justice if you鈥檙e in England or Wales
• Scottish Government Justice Directorate if you鈥檙e in Scotland
• Department for Justice if you鈥檙e in Northern Ireland

You can still register if you鈥檝e had your conviction quashed but you鈥檝e not got a letter.

If you have a solicitor

You鈥檒l need to provide your solicitor鈥檚 details when you register. If you鈥檝e already registered, you鈥檒l need to share their details with your caseworker.

If you鈥檙e not eligible for the HCRS

You may be eligible for the:

• Group Litigation Order (GLO) compensation scheme

鈥嬧€媃ou鈥檒l be eligible for a scheme if you lost money or were convicted of a crime because of the Horizon IT system used by the Post Office.

Which scheme you鈥檙e eligible for depends on your individual circumstances.

Register for the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) online.

Before you start

To register, you鈥檒l need to provide your:聽聽

• 补诲诲谤别蝉蝉听
• email address
• phone number
• solicitor鈥檚 details, if you have one
• unique reference number (URN) - you鈥檒l find this on the letter confirming your conviction has been quashed, if you got one

You can still register if you鈥檝e had your conviction quashed but you鈥檝e not got a letter.

If you鈥檙e registering for someone else

You鈥檒l need the personal details of the person you鈥檙e registering for, as well as your own details.

After registering, you鈥檒l be asked to provide documents to show you have the legal right to register for that person.

Register online

Read the HCRS privacy notice to find out how the information you provide will be used.

If you need help

Contact the Department for Business and Trade for support with registering for the HCRS.

A caseworker will contact you. You鈥檒l be asked to provide documents to prove your identity.

What happens next

Once you鈥檝e proven your identity, you鈥檒l get a preliminary payment of 拢200,000.

If you were a postmaster, you鈥檒l also get a set of documents related to your employment with the Post Office and the events leading up to your conviction.

If you decide to take the fixed total sum of 拢600,000, you鈥檒l get a second and final payment of 拢400,000.听

If you decide to get a detailed assessment, you鈥檒l need to provide evidence of your losses. Your application will then be assessed.

You can read guidance on how detailed claims will be assessed using an assessment framework.

If you live in the UK, you do not need to pay tax on any payments you get from the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS). They will not impact any benefits you receive.

You鈥檒l need to prove your identity before you can get any payment from the scheme.听

After you鈥檝e registered, a caseworker will contact you by email and tell you what you need to do next. They will tell you how to send any ID documents.

If you have a solicitor聽

Your solicitor can complete the ID checks for you.听

What your solicitor needs to do聽聽

They鈥檒l verify your identity and current address. You鈥檒l need to provide your solicitor with your acceptable ID documents. They鈥檒l then need to give scanned copies of these documents to your caseworker.听聽

Your solicitor will then send your caseworker a legal declaration confirming they鈥檝e verified your identity.听

If you do not have a solicitor

If you do not have a solicitor yet, or do not want one, you can use a countersignatory to confirm your identity and address.听

Who your countersignatory can be聽

Your countersignatory must:聽聽

• have known you for at least 2 years聽聽
• be able to identify you, for example they鈥檙e a friend, neighbour or colleague (not just someone who knows you professionally)听听
• be 鈥榓 person of good standing in their community鈥� or work in (or be retired from) a recognised profession

Your countersignatory cannot be:聽聽

• related to you by birth or marriage聽聽聽
• in a relationship with you
• someone who lives at the same address as you聽聽聽

Recognised professions for countersignatories聽聽

A countersignatory must be in one of the following professions:

• 补肠肠辞耻苍迟补苍迟听听
• airline pilot聽聽
• articled clerk of a limited company聽聽
• assurance agent of recognised company聽聽
• bank or building society official聽聽
• 产补谤谤颈蝉迟别谤听听
• 肠丑颈谤辞辫辞诲颈蝉迟听听
• commissioner for oaths聽聽
• councillor, for example local or county聽聽
• civil servant (permanent)听听
• 诲别苍迟颈蝉迟听听
• director, manager or personnel officer of a VAT-registered company聽聽
• engineer with professional qualifications聽聽
• financial services intermediary, for example a stockbroker or insurance broker聽聽
• fire service official聽聽
• funeral director聽聽
• insurance agent (full time) of a recognised company聽聽
• 箩辞耻谤苍补濒颈蝉迟听听
• Justice of the Peace聽聽
• legal secretary (fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs)听听
• licensee of a public house聽聽
• local government officer聽聽
• manager or personnel officer of a limited company聽聽
• member, associate or fellow of a professional body聽聽
• Member of Parliament聽聽
• Merchant Navy officer聽聽
• minister of a recognised religion (including Christian Science)听听
• nurse (RGN or RMN)听听
• officer of the armed services聽聽
• 辞辫迟颈肠颈补苍听听
• paralegal (certified paralegal, qualified paralegal or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals)听听
• person with honours, for example an OBE or MBE聽聽
• 辫丑补谤尘补肠颈蝉迟听听
• photographer (professional)听听
• police officer聽聽
• president or secretary of a recognised organisation聽聽
• Salvation Army officer聽聽
• social worker聽聽
• 蝉辞濒颈肠颈迟辞谤听听
• 蝉耻谤惫别测辞谤听听
• teacher or lecturer聽聽
• trade union officer聽聽
• travel agent (qualified)听听
• valuer or auctioneer (fellow or associate members of the incorporated society)听听
• Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officers聽聽

If your countersignatory does not meet these requirements, your application could be delayed or rejected.听聽

What you need to do聽

You鈥檒l need to send your 3 ID documents to your caseworker. They must be scanned copies of the original documents.听聽聽

You鈥檒l also need to send a verification statement signed by your countersignatory.

This should be a document written by your countersignatory which includes the statement 鈥淚 certify that this is a true likeness of [applicant鈥檚 title and full name]鈥�.

The document should also include the date and their:

• full name
• profession
• signature
• contact details

Your caseworker will contact them to confirm that they meet the criteria of a countersignatory. They must be available to respond quickly when contacted, or your application could be delayed or rejected.

List of acceptable ID documents聽聽

You need to provide 3 forms of ID documents. They must all be different.听

You should provide one of the following, a:聽

• current valid passport for any country
• current biometric residence permit for the UK
• current full or provisional photo card driving licence from the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands
• birth certificate from the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands (issued within 12 months of birth)

You鈥檒l also need 2 of the following:聽

• current full or provisional photo card driving licence from any country outside the UK, excluding Isle of Man and Channel Islands聽
• current full or provisional paper driving licence from the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands only (issued before 1998)听听聽
• birth certificate from the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands (issued within 12 months of birth)聽
• marriage certificate - UK and Channel Islands only聽聽
• civil partnership certificate - UK and Channel Islands only聽聽
• mortgage statement - UK only (issued in the last 3 months)聽
• financial statement, for example a pension or endowment - UK only (issued in the last 12 months)聽
• a statement from central or local government showing you are entitled to benefits
• bank or building society account opening confirmation letter - this must be a paper copy聽聽
• original utility bill - this must be a paper copy聽
• benefit statement - UK only (issued in the last 3 months)聽
• P45 or P60 statement聽聽
• Council Tax bill from UK or Channel Islands only (issued in the last 3 months) - this must be a paper copy

Your documents will not be accepted if they鈥檙e:

• 产濒耻谤谤别诲听听
• 颈濒濒别驳颈产濒别听听
• 辞耻迟-辞蹿-诲补迟别听
• 颈苍肠辞尘辫濒别迟别听

This will cause delays to your application.

If you need help

Contact the Department for Business and Trade for support with registering for the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS).

If you鈥檙e registering for someone else, you need to prove you have the legal right to make decisions for them or for their estate.

You need different documents depending on where you live and whether the person you鈥檙e registering for is alive.

After you鈥檝e registered, a caseworker will contact you by email. They will tell you how to send any ID documents.

If you have power of attorney in England or Wales聽聽

If you鈥檙e a property and financial affairs attorney, you鈥檒l need to provide a registered lasting power of attorney (LPA) document. This must:聽聽

• be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)听听
• be stamped with 鈥榁alidated 鈥� OPG鈥櫬�
• confirm the attorney鈥檚 name, address and date of birth聽
• confirm the donor鈥檚 name and 补诲诲谤别蝉蝉听聽

If the LPA was registered on or after 1 January 2016, you can give your caseworker access to view the online summary.

You can also send the original LPA document or a certified copy to your caseworker. A solicitor will be able to certify a copy.听

If you have power of attorney in Scotland

If you鈥檙e a property and financial affairs attorney in Scotland, you鈥檒l need to provide a registered continuing or combined power of attorney document. This must:聽

• be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland)聽
• be stamped with the Public Guardian鈥檚 certification indicating registration聽
• confirm the attorney鈥檚 name, address and date of birth
• confirm the donor鈥檚 name and 补诲诲谤别蝉蝉听

You鈥檒l need to send your caseworker either:聽

• the original certificate confirming the power of attorney is registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland)聽
• a certified copy of the power of attorney (you can have this certified by a solicitor or notary public)聽

If you have power of attorney in Northern Ireland

If you鈥檙e a property and affairs attorney, you鈥檒l need to provide a registered enduring power of attorney (EPA) document. This must:

• be registered with the Office of Care and Protection (Patients鈥� Section)
• be stamped as being registered and carry the seal of the Court聽
• confirm the attorney鈥檚 name and 补诲诲谤别蝉蝉听
• confirm the donor鈥檚 name, address and date of birth聽

You鈥檒l need to send your caseworker either:

• the original EPA 诲辞肠耻尘别苍迟听
• a certified copy of the EPA (you can apply for certified copies from the Office of Care and Protection)

If the person you鈥檙e representing has died聽聽

If you鈥檙e representing someone who has died, you need to provide legal documents to prove you can manage their estate.听

If there is a will (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)聽

If you鈥檙e an executor of the will, you鈥檒l need to provide a grant of probate which includes:

• the full name and address of the deceased聽
• the date of death聽
• what country the deceased lived in (their 鈥榙omicile鈥�)

You can apply for probate if you鈥檙e named as an executor in either the will or an update to it (known as a 鈥榗odicil鈥�).

Up to 4 executors can be named.听聽

If the will does not name an executor, or the named executors cannot apply, you鈥檒l need to send 鈥榓 letter of administration with the will annexed鈥�. This proves you have the right to act as an executor of the person鈥檚 estate. A solicitor can help you get this.听

If there is a will (Scotland)聽

You will need to provide .听

Your caseworker will tell you what evidence you need.

If there is no will聽

If there is no will, the closest living relative can register.听

You鈥檒l need to show you have the legal right to administer the estate, for example probate.

This may be the deceased鈥檚 husband, wife or civil partner. It cannot be a partner who was not married to or in a civil partnership with the deceased.听

You鈥檒l need to provide a grant of letters of administration, including:聽

• the full name and address of the deceased聽
• the date of death聽聽
• what country the deceased lived in (their 鈥榙omicile鈥�)

If you need help

Contact the Department for Business and Trade for support with registering for the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS).