The review concerns prosecutions brought by the DWP between 2001 and 2006, separate from the wider Post Office prosecutions that led to hundreds of convictions later being overturned through legislation. The unresolved DWP cases remain active, with families and legal representatives calling for a full examination of individual cases.
Delay Leaves Families Waiting for Independent Review
According to Sky News, the DWP advertised for an independent reviewer in March 2026, with applications closing in April, but no appointment has been made and the review has not started. The department said the delay followed a change of government and that Prime Minister Andy Burnham would need to consider the appointment before the process could move forward.
The DWP also said there had been two changes to its ministerial team since Mr Burnham took office, and that a decision would be made once the new administration was fully established. Those affected by the prosecutions remain waiting for the review to begin.
Neil Hudgell, a solicitor whose firm represents 19 people convicted following DWP prosecutions, described the situation as “a scandal within a scandal”. He said a number of victims continued to experience the effects of the prosecutions and feared they had been forgotten.
Keren Simpson, whose father Roger Allen was prosecuted by the DWP and died in 2024, said the delay was extremely frustrating. She told Sky News that she believed the department did not want to be connected to the wider Horizon controversy.
Roger Allen’s case remains among those highlighted by campaigners. He was convicted of theft and sentenced to six months in prison in 2004 after pleading guilty. His family says he admitted guilt after being told charges against his wife could be dropped. The Criminal Cases Review Commission later identified grounds for an appeal, but the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction in 2021.
© Shutterstock
Questions Raised over Scope of Planned Review
The planned review has also faced criticism over its terms. According to the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, the review’s remit is too limited because it focuses on the actions taken by the DWP during prosecutions rather than examining whether the use of Horizon affected the cases.
The board has argued that the relevant question should be whether Horizon was used at the time of a prosecution, rather than whether the system was required to secure a conviction. It has called for remaining convictions connected to Horizon to be overturned through legislation or a faster review process.
The DWP has maintained that its prosecutions relied on different types of evidence. A department spokesperson said investigations included material such as surveillance footage, stolen benefit books, handwriting analysis and witness statements, rather than relying only on Horizon data.
According to GB News, the DWP said it remained committed to an independent review of the prosecutions and would provide an update on the appointment of a reviewer in due course. For families seeking to clear the names of those convicted, the wait continues. Mrs Allen said she wanted the matter resolved because it remained present in her thoughts. The review, once launched, will determine how the DWP’s role in these historic prosecutions is examined.
