A sum in the thousands of pounds has been crowdfunded to lend a helping hand to Marlene Wood, a Scottish sub-postmaster who is at the risk of losing her business due to continuous Horizon shortfalls.
Marlene, a mother of two, previously divulged her distress about the likely loss of her Post Office in Comrie, Perthshire, and spiralling into homelessness. This comes as a result of battling the notorious Horizon IT system for many years, which led to the wrong conviction of hundreds of postmasters.
Marlene, 53 years old, represents numerous postmasters who allege that glitches, which ignited what is perceived as the most calamitous miscarriage of justice in the UK, continue to occur.
The compassionate local community around Marlene has rallied in her support. They initiated a crowdfunding initiative where almost £3,000 were raised in merely two days last week.
(Image: Tony Nicoletti/Daily Record)
Marlene has been amazed by the concern shown by people, saying “I am absolutely stunned and overwhelmed by it. There are people who have messaged me privately, whom I don’t know, asking how they can lend a helping hand.”
An immense perceived miscarriage of justice took place as around 700 sub-postmasters were prosecuted across the UK, which also included nearly 100 in Scotland, for theft and fraudulent accounting between the years 2000 and 2014. The flawed Fujitsu accounting system was the reason behind these convictions.
This grave issue was highlighted in the ITV drama ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’, which triggered both the UK and Scottish Governments to promise new laws this month to quicken the exoneration and compensation of the sub-postmasters.
However, numerous postmasters have been grappling with the Horizon shortfalls that endangered their businesses, even before the full scope of the scandal was revealed.
The current approach to dealing with shortfalls and disputes is more favorable to the postmasters, but the Horizon software, albeit a newer version, is still being used, and some postmasters continue to pay out in an effort to balance the books and keep their businesses afloat.
Marlene described her struggle as a losing battle in today’s financial circumstances. Last month, a £400 shortfall flagged by the Horizon system had to be covered by her, and she has discovered another £500 discrepancy recently.
Marlene’s emotional toll is evident, as she is currently in debt, relying on charity, and has an interview for Universal Credit due next week. “I’m so grateful for the support. I might be able to get my van fixed now and get to the cash and carry so I can stock the shop,” she said gratefully.
The Post Office has asked postmasters who have apprehensions about the Horizon system to bring it up with them – this could be done directly through their area manager. The current Horizon system, introduced since 2017, was found to be “robust, relative to comparable systems”, but the Post Office continues to cooperate with postmasters to identify and invest in enhancements.
Fujitsu stated that it would collaborate with the UK Government on suitable measures after the ongoing public inquiry into the scandal – this includes making contributions towards compensation.
You can donate to Marlene’s fundraiser here.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from all around Glasgow and further afield – Simply sign up to our daily newsletter here.
