Most sub-postmasters still have major issues with controversial IT system

The Post Office Horizon ungraded is the taxable of a nationalist enquiry but a shocking fig of sub-postmasters are inactive reporting regular issues, including a worrying fig of "unexplained discrepancies"

The machine strategy astatine the bosom of the Post Office Horizon scandal is inactive causing wide havoc, a survey has revealed.

Nearly 7 successful 10 subpostmasters person experienced an “unexplained discrepancy” with it since January 2020. Issues see chartless oregon missing transactions, with virtually each those questioned by pollsters YouGov saying it resulted successful shortfalls successful their accounts. A 3rd experienced surpluses. Most said their handled the discrepancy by utilizing their branch’s wealth oregon resolved it themselves.

The damning find of ongoing problems travel astatine the commencement of the last signifier of the enquiry into the Post Office ungraded surrounding the Horizon system. Hundreds of sub-postmasters were prosecuted aft Fujitsu’s faulty Horizon strategy made it look arsenic though wealth was missing astatine their branches.

The Post Office continues to usage the strategy contempt dense disapproval implicit the scandal.

The caller survey of 16,000 sub-postmasters recovered astir fractional were dissatisfied with however the shortfall issues were resolved, acold outstripping those pleased with the Post Office response. The probe besides highlighted frustrations implicit the compensation strategy to enactment those affected by the system’s failings and consequent prosecutions.

There appears small let-up successful issues with the Horizon system. The immense bulk (92%) of subpostmasters surveyed reported experiencing immoderate signifier of contented successful the past 12 months. The astir communal problems were surface freezes, and/or the nonaccomplishment of connection.

Over fractional (57%) said they person experienced unexplained discrepancies, with little but inactive important proportions mentioning unexplained transactions (19%), missing transactions (14%) oregon treble introduction of transactions (10%).

A Post Office spokesperson said: “We are focused connected supporting the Inquiry to scope its autarkic conclusions. Hearing straight from erstwhile and existent postmasters is an important portion of this work. We are determined to larn lessons from the past and amended the organisation for our postmasters and the 10 cardinal customers who trust connected america each week. The ongoing nationalist enquiry is an important mode for america to execute these aims and we volition not beryllium commenting extracurricular of the Inquiry astatine this time.”