Betty Brown, a 92-year-old victim of the Post Office Horizon scandal, has received an increased offer of compensation, although she still considers it inadequate. Initially offered less than a third of her claimed amount, Betty’s new offer stands at 60%, yet she feels that justice is not completely served. Gareth Thomas, the Post Office minister, stated that the government’s priority is to provide as much redress as possible.
Betty’s ordeal began in 2003 when she was compelled to leave her post office branch in Country Durham after erroneously being held accountable for non-existent shortfalls. The faulty Horizon IT system falsely depicted money as missing from her branch, prompting her to sell the post office at a loss after having invested over £50,000 of her and her late husband’s savings to cover the alleged discrepancies. The scandal, impacting over 900 sub-postmasters, led to wrongful accusations of theft, with some facing prosecution and imprisonment. Betty’s life was irreversibly disrupted by the ordeal.
Despite the increased compensation offer, Betty remains resolute in her pursuit of justice. Along with other victims discussed in the ITV drama “Mr Bates vs The Post Office”, Betty was one of the original 555 victims involved in the group legal action against the post office led by Alan Bates. While over £892m has been disbursed to 6,200 claimants through various compensation schemes, concerns have been raised regarding the speed and adequacy of the compensation process.
Betty’s case has garnered significant attention, prompting discussions on BBC’s Newsnight and meetings with Post Office Minister Mr. Thomas. Although Betty’s compensation offer has been raised to 60% of her claim, she remains unsatisfied, emphasizing the need for complete justice. Mr. Thomas has pledged to address challenges in disputes promptly, emphasizing the government’s commitment to providing fair redress. Despite the setbacks, Betty persists in her fight to receive the compensation she believes she rightfully deserves
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