About 100 prosecutions have been carried out by the DWP between 2001 and 2006 throughout the Horizon IT scandal.
The “independent assurance review”, nonetheless, is but to be commissioned and won’t take a look at particular person instances.
A whole lot of subpostmasters have been wrongfully convicted of stealing by the Submit Workplace between 1999 and 2015, because of the defective Horizon IT system.
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2:55
What did we be taught from the Submit Workplace inquiry?
They described instances as “complex investigations” which they mentioned have been “backed by evidence including filmed surveillance, stolen benefit books and witness statements”.
In addition they added that “to date no documentation has been identified showing that Horizon data was essential to these prosecutions”.
The assessment will take a look at a time period spanning 20 years coated by the Submit Workplace (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024, from September 1996 to December 2018.
The Horizon Act was successfully blanket exoneration laws which routinely quashed Submit Workplace convictions however didn’t embrace DWP or Seize-related prosecutions.
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Roger Allen
The household of Roger Allen, who was convicted in 2004 of stealing pension funds by the DWP and sentenced to 6 months in jail, are “frustrated” the assessment will not take a look at his or different instances.
Mr Allen died in March final yr, nonetheless attempting to clear his identify.
Keren Simpson, his daughter, describes the assessment as a “development” however a “fob off”.
“I think it’s just getting us off their backs,” she mentioned, “I’ll believe it when I see it because they’re not taking any accountability.
“They are not acknowledging something. They’re denying every thing.
“No one’s saying, look, we really need to dig in and have a look at all these cases to see if there’s the same pattern here.”
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1:29
‘On a regular basis life was a battle’ – former sub-postmistress
Mr Allen pleaded responsible to spare his spouse – after his lawyer informed him in a letter that there had been “an indication from the Crown that they may discontinue the proceedings against Mrs Allen were you minded to plead guilty”.
Regardless of the Felony Instances Evaluate Fee deciding Mr Allen had grounds to enchantment towards his conviction, it was upheld by the Courtroom of Attraction in 2021.
The unbiased assessment will take a look at the “methodology and processes” utilized by the DWP, and the “thoroughness and adequacy” of efforts to acquire case paperwork.
The DWP say that the assessment will not be commenting on particular person instances or these which have been dismissed by the Courtroom of Attraction.
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11:28
Submit Workplace: The misplaced ‘Seize’ recordsdata
Potential reviewers can even be approached with expertise “outside of the civil service”.
They are going to be requested to supply a report with suggestions for any additional actions inside six months of beginning their assessment.
Lawyer Neil Hudgell, instructed by a few of these prosecuted, described the assessment as “wholly inadequate”, saying the DWP “should not be marking its own homework.”
“Any involvement in the process of appointing reviewers undermines all confidence in the independence of the process,” he added.
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2:48
‘All we wish is her identify cleared’
He additionally criticised the DWP’s assertion as “strikingly defensive and closed minded”.
“It cannot be anything approaching rigorous or robust without a proper case by case review of all affected cases, including those dismissed by the Court of Appeal.”
He mentioned that the place tons of of convictions have been quashed “at the stroke of a pen” a correct and “targeted” assessment is “the least these poor victims are owed.”
“At the moment there is a widespread feeling among the group that they have been “left behind and that’s each legally and morally incorrect.”
In response to questions over what number of prosecutions concerned responsible pleas with no trial, the DWP mentioned the data had been destroyed “in accordance with departmental records management practices” and in step with knowledge safety.
