{"id":891632,"date":"2026-02-11T05:14:39","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T11:14:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/11\/dwp-review-of-post-office-worker-prosecutions-yet-to-start-months-after-announcement\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T05:14:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T11:14:39","slug":"dwp-review-of-post-office-worker-prosecutions-yet-to-start-months-after-announcement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/11\/dwp-review-of-post-office-worker-prosecutions-yet-to-start-months-after-announcement\/","title":{"rendered":"DWP review of Post Office worker prosecutions yet to start, months after announcement"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"content-header\">\n<h2>The DWP said in August that it would carry out an independent review of prosecutions of subpostmasters, but it has yet to appoint a reviewer<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"content-center\">\n<ul>\n<li><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i data-icon=\"2\"><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"contributors-block\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Karl-Flinders-profile-pic-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"Karl Flinders\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/contributor\/Karl-Flinders\">Karl Flinders,<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n\tPublished: <span>22 Jan 2026 15:19<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"content-body\">\n<p>The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has yet to formally launch its review of prosecutions of subpostmasters, despite it being announced in August 2025, and has yet to appoint a reviewer.<\/p>\n<p>Lawyers representing former subpostmasters are not waiting around, as the DWP \u201cdrags its feet\u201d and have cases \u201clined up\u201d for the Criminal Cases Review Commission to review.<\/p>\n<p>In the aftermath of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/feature\/Post-Office-Horizon-scandal-explained-everything-you-need-to-know\">Post Office Horizon scandal<\/a> hitting the headlines and the overturning of subpostmaster convictions based on data from the Post Office\u2019s Horizon system, the government department announced a review of its own prosecutions of subpostmasters.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cindependent assurance review\u201d, as it was described by the DWP, will look at prosecutions between 1996 and 2018. But Neil Hudgell, lawyer at Hudgell Solicitors, which represents hundreds of Post Office scandal victims, said the DWP is \u201cdragging its feet\u201d and his law firm is pursuing its own investigations on behalf of clients, already having \u201ca couple of cases lined up\u201d to send to the CCRC.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve unearthed some interesting things that we think impact the safety of convictions, so we\u2019re not waiting around on DWP themselves,\u201d said Hudgell. \u201cSomeone needs to lean on the DWP, because it\u2019s not good enough. [The longer it takes] the more suspicion subpostmasters have that there\u2019s something to hide.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Around 100 subpostmasters and staff were prosecuted by the DWP with support from the Post Office. The DWP said it has recovered material and reviewed cases, but has so far has not found evidence that Horizon data was used by it to prosecute subpostmasters or branch staff.<\/p>\n<section data-menu-title=\"Polluted prosecutions\">\n<h2><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i>Polluted prosecutions<\/h2>\n<p>Focus turned on the DWP after the Post Office Horizon controversy hit the mainstream following the ITV drama about the scandal, which saw hundreds of subpostmasters wrongly prosecuted following account shortfalls. These discrepancies were caused by errors in the Post Office\u2019s Horizon system used in branches and effected thousands of subpostmasters. More than 700 subpostmaster convictions, which were based on data from Horizon, were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366586358\/Over-700-wrongful-subpostmaster-convictions-overturned-by-new-legislation\">overturned <i>en masse<\/i> through an act of Parliament<\/a> in May 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The DWP worked with the Post Office on its subpostmaster prosecutions, and it has emerged that prosecutions of people <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366636911\/CCRC-says-multiple-Post-Office-software-systems-potentially-implicated-in-miscarriages-of-justice\">using various systems at Post Office branches could also be flawed<\/a>. The CCRC now refers to cases based on multiple technologies as \u201cpre-Horizon appeals\u201d, such is the variety of systems involved.<\/p>\n<p>The DWP said prosecutions were related to fraudulent activity on the DWP payment mechanisms such as order book fraud, but Hudgell has stated that \u201call prosecutions involving the Post Office are polluted and need to be looked at\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>In an update, a DWP spokesperson told Computer Weekly: \u201cWe announced an independent assurance review where Post Office members of staff were prosecuted by the Department for welfare-related fraud. Over the past few years, we have taken comprehensive steps to recover material and review all relevant cases. To date, no documentation has been identified to show that Horizon data was essential to any DWP prosecutions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The DWP said it will not review criminal convictions.<\/p>\n<p>James Arbuthnot, who campaigned for justice for subpostmasters for nearly two decades, said the Horizon Advisory Board, of which he is a member, has met the DWP regarding its review: \u201cWe strongly believe they ought to look at individual cases and, at the moment, they are saying they are not going to do that. Unless they do, we think the review will be pointless and they might as well not do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since the announcement in August last year, the DWP expanded scope to give the individuals or organisations the opportunity to provide information to the independent reviewer. The government department said the review will take six months once it starts and it is currently in the process of appointing a reviewer.<\/p>\n<p>The Post Office Horizon scandal was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/2240089230\/Bankruptcy-prosecution-and-disrupted-livelihoods-Postmasters-tell-their-story\">first exposed by Computer Weekly in 2009<\/a>, revealing the stories of seven subpostmasters and the problems they suffered due to accounting software (<i>see below timeline of all Computer Weekly articles about the Horizon scandal, since 2009<\/i>).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"DigDeeperSplash\">\n<h4>\n\t\t\t<i data-icon=\"m\"><\/i>Read more on IT for government and public sector<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366629933\/Police-investigation-into-Post-Office-scandal-to-cost-more-than-50m\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/Police-crime-1-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/Police-crime-1-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/Police-crime-1-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Police investigation into Post Office scandal to cost more than \u00a350m<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Karl-Flinders-profile-pic-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"KarlFlinders\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Karl\u00a0Flinders<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366629917\/Subpostmaster-federation-accepted-money-from-Fujitsu-in-run-up-to-High-Court-Post-Office-trial\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/Fujitsu-offices-J-News-photo-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/Fujitsu-offices-J-News-photo-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/Fujitsu-offices-J-News-photo-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Subpostmaster federation accepted money from Fujitsu in run-up to High Court Post Office trial<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Karl-Flinders-profile-pic-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"KarlFlinders\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Karl\u00a0Flinders<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366621280\/Kroll-reviewing-Post-Office-Horizons-current-integrity-and-discrepancy-identification\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/software-code-error-Bigc-Studio-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/software-code-error-Bigc-Studio-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/software-code-error-Bigc-Studio-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Kroll reviewing Post Office Horizon\u2019s current integrity and discrepancy identification<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Karl-Flinders-profile-pic-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"KarlFlinders\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Karl\u00a0Flinders<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366620384\/Post-Office-scandal-data-leak-interim-compensation-offers-made\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/security-data-breach-stolen-Shawn-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/security-data-breach-stolen-Shawn-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/security-data-breach-stolen-Shawn-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Post Office scandal data leak interim compensation offers made<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Karl-Flinders-profile-pic-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"KarlFlinders\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Karl\u00a0Flinders<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p> Marquis Mongold<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366637471\/DWP-review-of-Post-Office-worker-prosecutions-yet-to-start-months-after-announcement\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The DWP said in August that it would carry out an independent review of prosecutions of subpostmasters, but it has yet to appoint a reviewer By Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA Published: 22 Jan 2026 15:19 The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has yet to formally launch its review of prosecutions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":891633,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[980,661],"tags":[5580,5992],"class_list":{"0":"post-891632","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-office","8":"category-review","9":"tag-office","10":"tag-review"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/891632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=891632"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/891632\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/891633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=891632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=891632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=891632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}