Former subpostmaster Stefan Fountain has revealed he has received an offer for compensation through the Post Office’s Historical Shortfall Scheme which would leave him with just over £4,000 damages for two decades of struggle.
A victim of the Post Office Horizon Scandal which wrongfully accused subpostmasters of being responsible for shortfalls in accounts, he had hoped the scheme would compensate him suitably for years of difficulties.
Due to the unexplained losses in his branch accounts, he was declared bankrupt, and then, struggling to make ends meet, had to remortgage his home, taking an interest only mortgage of £168,000, with payments rising from £300 a month with a few years remaining, to £600 a month for the next 20 years.
Now, 22 years after taking over a Post Office in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, he has been left reeling again,
This is because he has been told around £20,000 of the damages being offered to him will go to official receivers, on behalf of people he owned money to when he was declared bankrupt all those years ago.
Read our full story: ‘I went bankrupt because of Post Office Horizon scandal – now I’m 65 and looking for a part-time job after selling my home, and receivers want to take most of my compensation’
In The News: Yorkshire Live