Apply best offer principle equally in GLOS
Post Office Horizon Inquiry · Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry: Volume 1 Report · Issued 8 July 2025 · Addressed to: Department for Business and Trade
Government responseDepartment for Business and Trade: Accepted (Oct 2025)
DeliveryCabinet Office says completed (Mar 2026)
Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
The "best offer" principle which will apply in HSSA, as explained in response to Recommendation 10, shall be equally applicable in GLOS.
Post Office Horizon Inquiry, Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry: Volume 1 Report · 8 Jul 2025 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
AI-generated evidence summary
The Inquiry recommended extending the best offer principle to the Group Litigation Order scheme. The Cabinet Office reported in an update of February 2026, published in March 2026, that the Department for Business and Trade had been implementing the policy at all panel stages since August 2025 (Cabinet Office, Mar 2026). In January 2026, the Business and Trade Select Committee found that the department committed to applying the principle retrospectively, while over 4,000 claimants across all schemes were still awaiting final settlement (Business and Trade Select Committee, Jan 2026). In October 2025, the department stated that any postmaster who received a lower binding panel award would have redress topped up to the higher offer (Department for Business and Trade response, Oct 2025).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 5 Oct 2026.
Government response
●Department for Business and Trade · Accepted · 9 Oct 2025
The minister announced on 8 July that DBT would adopt a best offer principle at panel stage on the GLO, HSSA and HCRS schemes. DBT consulted the Advisory Board, Sir Ross Cranston and claimants’ legal representatives and has been implementing the policy at all panel stages, and per head of loss, since 12 August. DBT will implement this change retrospectively. Any postmaster who received a binding award from the second panel that was lower than their final DBT offer will have their redress topped up to the higher level.
Extract from: Government response to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry report (volume 1)
Delivery
●Cabinet Office says completed · 2 Mar 2026
The Department announced on 8 July 2025 that DBT would adopt a best offer principle at panel stage on the GLO, HSSA and HCRS schemes. DBT consulted the Advisory Board, Sir Ross Cranston and claimants’ legal representatives. DBT has been implementing the policy at all panel stages, and per head of loss, since 12 August 2025.
From: Post Office (Horizon) Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, February 2026 (data file)
Published evidence
●Business and Trade Select Committee · 6 Jan 2026
Business and Trade Select Committee noted DBT committed to applying the "best offer" principle retrospectively across GLO, HSSA and HCRS, including to awards already made.
Read the finding in full
Business and Trade Committee held an evidence session on 6 January 2026 with witnesses from Fujitsu, the CCRC, DBT and MoJ. The CCRC revealed Horizon software may have been installed earlier than previously believed, potentially expanding the pool of eligible convictions. Over 4,000 claimants were still awaiting final settlement across all schemes at that date. Government accepted only 3 of 17 committee recommendations in full.Business and Trade Committee evidence session, 6 January 2026View source →
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The recommendation and the government responses are verbatim from primary documents. Delivery statements and other bodies' findings are shown in their own words, each with its source. The summary is written by this site and labelled as such. The Index does not paraphrase sources or characterise intent; it records what has been published.