Summary
Janet Skinner, a victim of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, was wrongly convicted and jailed due to faulty software. She faced severe health issues due to stress and was offered only 15% of her compensation claim. The government states it aims for fair offers, but victims and lawyers claim complex cases are met with resistance.
Key Facts
- Janet Skinner was wrongly convicted of false accounting in 2007 and spent nine months in prison.
- The conviction was due to faulty software that inaccurately showed financial discrepancies.
- Skinner experienced severe stress, causing a temporary neurological collapse, and needed a wheelchair for a year.
- Her conviction was overturned in 2021, but it took over four years to prepare her compensation claim.
- She received an offer of only 15% of her claim, lower than she sought.
- The Department for Business and Trade now handles compensation for affected sub-postmasters.
- Over £1 billion in compensation has been paid to more than 8,000 victims so far.
- Complex claims face delays, with claims that legal teams and government are trying to reduce payouts.
