Independent investigation to scrutinize the court proceedings against Post Office employees, handled by the Department for Work and Pensions
DWP to Launch Independent Review into Prosecutions Against Post Office Staff
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced plans to commission an independent review into its handling of prosecutions against Post Office staff, focusing on the methodology, processes, and thoroughness of efforts to obtain case documents. The review will span a period of over 20 years, from September 1996 to December 2018, a timeframe influenced by the Horizon IT scandal.
The review will specifically investigate around 100 prosecutions against Post Office staff between 2001 and 2006, tied to welfare-related fraud allegations. It will not consider individual prosecutions or their outcomes, but rather examine the DWP's processes, methodologies, and whether efforts to obtain relevant documents were adequate.
As of early August 2025, the independent reviewer or panel has not yet been commissioned or publicly named. The aim of the review is to establish assurance about the robustness and fairness of the DWP's handling of prosecutions during the scandal period and to identify any procedural failings or areas for improvement.
The DWP has stated that these complex investigations were backed by evidence including filmed surveillance, stolen benefit books, and witness statements. A Freedom of Information request to the Department of Work and Pensions found that most cases they prosecuted involved encashment of stolen benefit payment order books.
The Post Office acted as a private prosecutor in these cases but also functioned as victim and investigator, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest. This review is separate from the broader scrutiny of the Post Office's prosecutorial role and the wrongful convictions linked to the Horizon system.
Lawyer Neil Hudgell, representing some of those prosecuted, has criticized the DWP's statement as "strikingly defensive and closed-minded," calling for a rigorous and robust review that includes a proper case-by-case review of all affected cases, including those dismissed by the Court of Appeal.
Keren Simpson, daughter of Roger Allen, a Post Office subpostmaster convicted in 2004 of stealing pension payments by the DWP and sentenced to six months in prison, described the review as a "development" but a "fob off." She expressed frustration that the review will not look at her father's case or other similar cases.
Roger Allen died in March last year, still trying to clear his name. To date, no documentation has been identified showing that Horizon data was essential to these prosecutions. The reviewers are expected to produce a report with recommendations for any further actions within six months of starting their review.
- Despite the ongoing review into the Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) handling of prosecutions against Post Office staff, a lawyer representing those prosecuted has called for a more rigorous and comprehensive study, including a case-by-case analysis of all affected cases.
- The crime-and-justice sector has been at the center of political debates and policy-and-legislation discussions, with the DWP's controversial handling of post office staff prosecutions being a significant aspect of general-news coverage, particularly in relation to the Horizon IT scandal, warrants, and potential conflicts of interest.
