Emma Simpson, a business correspondent at BBC News, reported that the Post Office has reached an agreement to compensate hundreds of former sub-postmasters whose names and addresses were accidentally leaked on its corporate website. The data breach, which came to light in June of the previous year, exposed the personal information of 555 victims of the Horizon IT scandal.
Individual payouts of up to £5,000 have been confirmed by the company, with the possibility of higher amounts for those seeking further redress. Post Office has expressed regret over the incident and stated that it is cooperating fully with the Information Commissioner’s Office regarding the matter.
The sub-postmasters’ personal details were disclosed in a document on the Post Office’s website, a mistake that was described by the then-chief executive, Nick Read, as a “truly terrible error.” The law firm Freeths, which represented the sub-postmasters in their lawsuit against the Post Office back in 2017, has secured the compensation for all affected individuals and their legal representatives. Since the breach, 348 out of the 420 victims represented by Freeths have already received their respective payouts.
Former sub-postmaster Chris Head acknowledged the Post Office’s admission of the data breach but criticized the delay in addressing the issue, stating that the impact on affected individuals has been immense. The Post Office has stated that victims will receive either £5,000 or £3,500, depending on their residency status at the time of the breach, and additional compensation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Will Richmond-Coggan, the lawyer who led the case on behalf of the sub-postmasters, emphasized that while progress has been made, there is still much to be done to fully acknowledge the consequences of the breach for those affected
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