Register for the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS)

Printable version

1. Overview

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 you바카라 사이트檒l be paid for your losses.

What you바카라 사이트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.

If you바카라 사이트檝e already received a payment for the same loss from a different scheme, there may be deductions made to this fixed total sum.

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

You바카라 사이트檙e eligible for the HCRS if you바카라 사이트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 you바카라 사이트檙e in England or Wales
  • Scottish 바카라 사이트 Justice Directorate if you바카라 사이트檙e in Scotland
  • Department for Justice if you바카라 사이트檙e in Northern Ireland

You can still register if you바카라 사이트檝e had your conviction quashed but you바카라 사이트檝e not got a letter.

If you have a solicitor

You바카라 사이트檒l need to provide your solicitor바카라 사이트檚 details when you register. If you바카라 사이트檝e already registered, you바카라 사이트檒l need to share their details with your caseworker.

If you바카라 사이트檙e not eligible for the HCRS

You may be eligible for the:

바카라 사이트�바카라 사이트媃ou바카라 사이트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 you바카라 사이트檙e eligible for depends on your individual circumstances.

2. How to register

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

Before you start

To register, you바카라 사이트檒l need to provide your:聽聽

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

You can still register if you바카라 사이트檝e had your conviction quashed but you바카라 사이트檝e not got a letter.

If you바카라 사이트檙e registering for someone else

You바카라 사이트檒l need the personal details of the person you바카라 사이트檙e registering for, as well as your own details.

After registering, you바카라 사이트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.

The Department for Business and Trade hcrsregistration@businessandtrade.gov.uk

3. After you바카라 사이트檝e registered

A caseworker will contact you. You바카라 사이트檒l be asked to provide documents to prove your identity.

What happens next

Once you바카라 사이트檝e proven your identity, you바카라 사이트檒l get a preliminary payment of 拢200,000.

If you were a postmaster, you바카라 사이트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, you바카라 사이트檒l get a second and final payment of 拢400,000.听

If you바카라 사이트檝e already received a payment for the same loss from a different scheme, there may be deductions made to this fixed total sum.

If you decide to get a detailed assessment, you바카라 사이트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.

4. Proving your identity

You바카라 사이트檒l need to prove your identity before you can get any payment from the scheme.听

After you바카라 사이트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

They바카라 사이트檒l verify your identity and current address. You바카라 사이트檒l need to provide your solicitor with your acceptable ID documents. They바카라 사이트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 they바카라 사이트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 they바카라 사이트檙e a friend, neighbour or colleague (not just someone who knows you professionally)听听
  • be 바카라 사이트榓 person of good standing in their community바카라 사이트� 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

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

You바카라 사이트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 바카라 사이트淚 certify that this is a true likeness of [applicant바카라 사이트檚 title and full name]바카라 사이트�.

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)

You바카라 사이트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 they바카라 사이트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).

The Department for Business and Trade hcrsregistration@businessandtrade.gov.uk

5. Registering for someone else

If you바카라 사이트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 you바카라 사이트檙e registering for is alive.

After you바카라 사이트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 you바카라 사이트檙e a property and financial affairs attorney, you바카라 사이트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 바카라 사이트榁alidated 바카라 사이트� OPG바카라 사이트櫬�
  • confirm the attorney바카라 사이트檚 name, address and date of birth聽
  • confirm the donor바카라 사이트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 you바카라 사이트檙e a property and financial affairs attorney in Scotland, you바카라 사이트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 Guardian바카라 사이트檚 certification indicating registration聽
  • confirm the attorney바카라 사이트檚 name, address and date of birth
  • confirm the donor바카라 사이트檚 name and 补诲诲谤别蝉蝉听

You바카라 사이트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 you바카라 사이트檙e a property and affairs attorney, you바카라 사이트檒l need to provide a registered enduring power of attorney (EPA) document. This must:

  • be registered with the Office of Care and Protection (Patients바카라 사이트� Section)
  • be stamped as being registered and carry the seal of the Court聽
  • confirm the attorney바카라 사이트檚 name and 补诲诲谤别蝉蝉听
  • confirm the donor바카라 사이트檚 name, address and date of birth聽

You바카라 사이트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)

Office of Care and Protection (Patients바카라 사이트� Section)
Royal Courts of Justice
Chichester Street
Belfast
BT1 3JF

If the person you바카라 사이트檙e representing has died聽聽

If you바카라 사이트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 you바카라 사이트檙e an executor of the will, you바카라 사이트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 바카라 사이트榙omicile바카라 사이트�)

You can apply for probate if you바카라 사이트檙e named as an executor in either the will or an update to it (known as a 바카라 사이트榗odicil바카라 사이트�).

Up to 4 executors can be named.听聽

If the will does not name an executor, or the named executors cannot apply, you바카라 사이트檒l need to send 바카라 사이트榓 letter of administration with the will annexed바카라 사이트�. This proves you have the right to act as an executor of the person바카라 사이트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

You바카라 사이트檒l need to show you have the legal right to administer the estate, for example probate.

This may be the deceased바카라 사이트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

You바카라 사이트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 바카라 사이트榙omicile바카라 사이트�)

If you need help

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

The Department for Business and Trade hcrsregistration@businessandtrade.gov.uk