Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he has identified any category of Horizon claimants who are unable to access an independent reassessment of compensation because they do not meet the eligibility criteria for the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals (HSSA) process was introduced in response to concerns raised by the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board (HCAB) that many applicants to the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) may not have received comprehensive legal advice when settling their claims. The eligibility criteria therefore exclude individuals who settled with the benefit of fully funded legal advice provided by the Post Office. These criteria were developed in consultation with the HCAB, claimants’ legal representatives and postmaster organisations.

This means that a small number of individuals have not been eligible to access HSSA. However, the appeals process was specifically designed to provide funded legal support from the outset, helping applicants to fully understand and pursue their claims.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he plans to review the eligibility criteria for the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process to ensure that claimants are not excluded from an independent assessment of their compensation because of legal costs arrangements.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals (HSSA) process was introduced in response to concerns raised by the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board (HCAB) that many applicants to the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) may not have received comprehensive legal advice when settling their claims. The eligibility criteria therefore exclude individuals who settled with the benefit of fully funded legal advice provided by the Post Office. These criteria were developed in consultation with the HCAB, claimants’ legal representatives and postmaster organisations.

This means that a small number of individuals have not been eligible to access HSSA. However, the appeals process was specifically designed to provide funded legal support from the outset, helping applicants to fully understand and pursue their claims.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what guidance has been issued to officials assessing eligibility for the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process on cases involving contributions by Post Office Ltd towards claimants' legal costs.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals (HSSA) process was introduced in response to concerns raised by the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board (HCAB) that many applicants to the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) may not have received comprehensive legal advice when settling their claims. The eligibility criteria therefore exclude individuals who settled with the benefit of fully funded legal advice provided by the Post Office. These criteria were developed in consultation with the HCAB, claimants’ legal representatives and postmaster organisations.

This means that a small number of individuals have not been eligible to access HSSA. However, the appeals process was specifically designed to provide funded legal support from the outset, helping applicants to fully understand and pursue their claims.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how many claimants have been found ineligible for the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process because they received a contribution from Post Office Ltd towards legal costs.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals (HSSA) process was introduced in response to concerns raised by the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board (HCAB) that many applicants to the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) may not have received comprehensive legal advice when settling their claims. The eligibility criteria therefore exclude individuals who settled with the benefit of fully funded legal advice provided by the Post Office. These criteria were developed in consultation with the HCAB, claimants’ legal representatives and postmaster organisations.

This means that a small number of individuals have not been eligible to access HSSA. However, the appeals process was specifically designed to provide funded legal support from the outset, helping applicants to fully understand and pursue their claims.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, for what reason claimants are excluded from the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process where Post Office Ltd contributed towards part of their legal costs.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals (HSSA) process was introduced in response to concerns raised by the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board (HCAB) that many applicants to the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) may not have received comprehensive legal advice when settling their claims. The eligibility criteria therefore exclude individuals who settled with the benefit of fully funded legal advice provided by the Post Office. These criteria were developed in consultation with the HCAB, claimants’ legal representatives and postmaster organisations.

This means that a small number of individuals have not been eligible to access HSSA. However, the appeals process was specifically designed to provide funded legal support from the outset, helping applicants to fully understand and pursue their claims.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process contains any discretion to admit exceptional cases where the application of the eligibility criteria would prevent a claimant's compensation from being independently reassessed.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals (HSSA) process was introduced in response to concerns raised by the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board (HCAB) that many applicants to the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) may not have received comprehensive legal advice when settling their claims. The eligibility criteria therefore exclude individuals who settled with the benefit of fully funded legal advice provided by the Post Office. These criteria were developed in consultation with the HCAB, claimants’ legal representatives and postmaster organisations.

This means that a small number of individuals have not been eligible to access HSSA. However, the appeals process was specifically designed to provide funded legal support from the outset, helping applicants to fully understand and pursue their claims.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether claimants whose compensation has not been independently reassessed because they received a contribution from Post Office Ltd towards legal costs meet the eligibility criteria for the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals (HSSA) process was introduced in response to concerns raised by the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board (HCAB) that many applicants to the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) may not have received comprehensive legal advice when settling their claims. The eligibility criteria therefore exclude individuals who settled with the benefit of fully funded legal advice provided by the Post Office. These criteria were developed in consultation with the HCAB, claimants’ legal representatives and postmaster organisations.

This means that a small number of individuals have not been eligible to access HSSA. However, the appeals process was specifically designed to provide funded legal support from the outset, helping applicants to fully understand and pursue their claims.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the equity of applying eligibility criteria for the Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals process based on legal costs arrangements entered into before that appeals process existed.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals (HSSA) process was introduced in response to concerns raised by the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board (HCAB) that many applicants to the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) may not have received comprehensive legal advice when settling their claims. The eligibility criteria therefore exclude individuals who settled with the benefit of fully funded legal advice provided by the Post Office. These criteria were developed in consultation with the HCAB, claimants’ legal representatives and postmaster organisations.

This means that a small number of individuals have not been eligible to access HSSA. However, the appeals process was specifically designed to provide funded legal support from the outset, helping applicants to fully understand and pursue their claims.

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