The oldest remaining victim of the Post Office Horizon Scandal said that he can now “look at his expected settlement from one of the government compensation schemes.
“I can do my activities. I can have the heating on full blast, and that’s great,” 92-year-old Betty Brown told the BBC.
Mrs Brown was forced out of her post office in country Durham in 2003 after she and her late husband spent more than £50,000 of their savings without moving.
His confirmation comes after it was confirmed that Sir Sir Sir Alan Bates had agreed a multi-million pound compensation payment from the post office.
“Finally, after 26 years, they know justice,” he said, adding: “What a pity they took.”
His post office was one of the most successful in the region but in the end he had to sell it at a loss.
Speaking about what happened, she previously said it “completely ruined my whole life”.
The horizon of this system is responsible for more than 900 sub-postmasters who were falsely accused because of it giving incorrect information. Thousands more, like Betty, have been forced to make up for alleged losses at their branches across the UK.
The scandal has been described as one of the UK’s most extensive miscarriages of justice.
Mrs Brown was one of the original 555 victims who took part in the landmark legal action led by Sir Alan Bates against the post office.
He said it was “impressive” that Sir Alan had also received his final settlement, describing him as his “hero”.
“I think it’s long overdue, the government started listening. They didn’t just start listening, they started acting,” Mrs Brown said.
Both Betty and Sir Alan are part of the group’s compensation group, and those claimants have been offered the option of taking a signature sum of £75,000 or pursuing their own settlement.
In December 2024, Betty was initially offered under a third of what she claimed in compensation. Gradually drifted away from 70% earlier in the year, which he rejected. His case then progressed to an independent panel.
There are two main tapping points.
First, the post office knocks 10% of the income he makes when he runs his branch, which has a big impact on the calculation for his future earnings.
And then downgraded his claim for psychological injuries from severe to severe, even though his medical report concluded it was severe.
Betty took the opportunity to address the panel, an experience she said felt like moving into the past.
“The emotions, the fear, the panic came back,” he said.
The panel found in his favor.
After that, Betty dropped a couple of claims for business expenses, because she had no papers and the lack of evidence challenged the government.
He has now completed about 95% of what he originally claimed – and Betty is happy.
The latest government figures to the end of September, which do not include Betty’s payment, show that 492 claims have been fully settled – with more than 100 people awaiting their final payment.
Across government compensation schemes, £1.2bn has now been paid to more than 9,100 victims.
“It’s a method of redress,” Betty stated. “We’re just giving back what they took from us. We’re not getting a cent in compensation.”
For the past two years, that is the message that Betty has set up as she is one of the most formidable campaigns for justice for the former submasters.
He appeared on BBC breakfast, news and took on government work.
Betty was celebrated with tea and cake at her local church cafe in the morning. He got a round of applause and a few hugs as he broke the news of his final payment.
Grs Brown also explained that he was not done.
“I don’t want to put my feet up,” he said. “I only want other sub-postmasters to have what I was given. That’s all I want – justice for each of them.”