Late sub-postmaster warned 'I'll be dead before I get compensation'

"She said, 'I'll be dead before this gets sorted out'," Alan Riddell told ITV News

A former sub-postmaster who died before receiving full Post Office compensation for the Horizon IT scandal told her family she would not be compensated in her lifetime.

Alan Riddell told ITV News he finds it "really hard" to accept that his late wife, Carol, was not compensated before her death last month.

"She said, 'I'll be dead before this gets sorted out'," Mr Riddell told ITV News.

Mr Riddell said that while receiving compensation would have made their lives "comfortable", he called the amount being offered "ridiculous".

In a letter to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry Chair, Sir Wyn Williams, the lawyer representing the Riddells said he was told Mrs Riddell had decided before her death to settle for the lower lump sum, despite it being likely that she would have been entitled to far higher compensation.

The letter read: "The reason for this was that the family finances were so strained that they could not afford to wait."

It continued: "Mr Riddell advised us that, 'All Carol wanted was enough money to do the floor in their home and redecorate, with some money left over to treat the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.'

"She did not live long enough to receive the balance of her compensation."

Have you heard our podcast Talking Politics? Tom, Robert and Anushka dig into the biggest issues dominating the political agenda in every episode...

The Riddells' association with the Post Office started when Mrs Riddell bought a Post Office in her hometown of East Boldon, in South Tyneside, in 1991.

Five years later, armed robbers broke into their family home in order to access the adjacent Post Office.

During the ordeal, Mrs Riddell's mother was taken hostage, around £14,000 was stolen and acid was thrown in Mrs Riddell's face. As a result of the latter, she was left blind in her left eye.

Mrs Riddell continued to run the Post Office until 2000, when she became too unwell to continue, with her husband stepping in to replace her.

Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.

He ran the Post Office until October 2011, at which point he experienced repeated shortfalls, and was suspended following an audit. Mr Riddell later had a nervous breakdown as a result of those experiences.

Mr Riddell said: "We borrowed money, we did everything and kept putting money in all the time.

"Every month we had to put money in and there was no explanation where it had gone. It was just gone and that was it.

"And you couldn't go back and see, well, look at this, look at that. You couldn't because the Post Office had all the stuff, and it was horrendous."

'Every month we had to put money in and there was no explanation where it had gone'

As part of the letter submitted to the inquiry on the Riddell's behalf, human impact statements from Mr Riddell and the couple's long-time friend Jean Smith were included.

Mr Riddell used his to state that his wife watched the inquiry "religiously" despite it evoking "very difficult memories" for her.

Ms Smith, meanwhile, said that Mrs Riddell "loved" Sir Wyn and that she would say: "He looks like he's not paying attention, but then he comes in like a dagger."

She added Mrs Riddell would also watch the inquiry's Lead Counsel, Jason Beer KC's, eyes carefully, as "she could always tell from Mr Beer's eyes if he thought someone was not telling the truth".

The Riddells are among a group of 555 sub-postmasters who were part of the High Court Bates & Others vs the Post Office group litigation.

The group won their case against the Post Office in December 2019, and the court awarded the 555 sub-postmasters £56.75m in damages.

After legal costs, sub-postmasters were left with approximately £21,000 each. Many sub-postmasters have criticised the decision to make them cover their own legal fees.

In January 2024, the government announced that it would be offering the option of an increased immediate settlement of £75,000 for each member of the Group Litigation Order (GLO).

Under this scheme, sub-postmasters can either accept £75,000 upfront or claim more, depending on their individual circumstances.

As of the end of September 2024, out of 555 GLO members, 208 had been paid full and final compensation. This scheme is run by the Department for Business and Trade.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...