Charged me with false accounting. What progress have you made in regards to your claim . You mentioned it is not progressing as quickly as it is not progressing as quickly as it might be. What challenges, we have heard from tony and alan about challenges, what challenges are you facing yourself with regards to your claim . In fact, facing yourself with regards to your claim . Infact, i facing yourself with regards to your claim . In fact, i shouldnt say claim, something we should all learn, it is not compensation, should be renamed. It should be redress. It should be renamed. It should be redress. , , redress. It is so complex because the business redress. It is so complex because the business that redress. It is so complex because the business that i redress. It is so complex because the business that i had redress. It is so complex because the business that i had was redress. It is so complex because the business that i had was a the business that i had was a village shop with a post office and a small fish and chip shop. I bought it alongside with help from my parents, it was supposed to be inheritance for me and a career Going Forwards for the next 110 or 50 years. We have had evidence of his kind of loss that we are claiming for since i was prosecuted and moved from that post office, i didntjust lose the pose of a salary at that point, i was running the salaries as well, but the rumours and people accusing me of being a thief and a fraud meant i couldnt face people so i stood back from the Retail Business as well. In the small community, many people stopped using this shop because they saw us as fraudsters or thieves so notjust the post office, the retail and food side that suffered greatly as well. We havent got all of the documents and information from 15 years ago, we have had to had forensic accountants to go through my accounts, through the business accounts, through the business accounts, to my parents accounts. We have had medical assessments and records, i didnt have any kind of evidence of my gp because although. This i didnt go to the gp to seek help. Weve had to build this. The claim is almost ready to go in though. And whether it will be responded to quickly or not, i dont know. Its taken me three years to get to this point. Weve always been told that we have to go into this amount of detail and it was announced a few months ago that i could take £600,000 with no evidence at all, and anyone Going Forward now has the conviction quashed can sign a piece of paper to say they are innocent and walk away with the money. And ive had a small interim payment. And now the post office have returned the money they demanded that i pay to avoid the theft charge. But its taken three years for them to decide to do that. And it feels like i get the pick of the crumbs from the table. And it always seems when there is a large event, whether its the inquiry restarting the committee, an announcement is made from government or post office to placate us or offer us something that seems to continue outside of waiting. Since 2023 there were continue outside of waiting. Since 2023 there were those continue outside of waiting. Since 2023 there were those convictions, over £600,000. That was settled, and do you think that will speed up the process and what might speed up the process . If process and what might speed up the rocess . ,. ,. , process and what might speed up the rocess . ,. ,. ,. Process and what might speed up the rocess . ,. ,. , process . If people are close to retirement process . If people are close to retirement or process . If people are close to retirement or perhaps process . If people are close to retirement or perhaps had process . If people are close to l retirement or perhaps had small losses or not a huge impact on them, if your claim wasjudged losses or not a huge impact on them, if your claim was judged around that all below it, that would speed that p all below it, that would speed that up but for many people, like myself or other people who suffered worse, as people did Prison Sentences and lost loved ones because of this, £600,000 perhaps doesnt come anywhere near to compensating or redressing them. They still have to go through this extended way of doing it and have their claim fully assessed. ,. ,. , , assessed. The question has been asked in the assessed. The question has been asked in the hearings assessed. The question has been asked in the hearings we assessed. The question has been asked in the hearings we have i assessed. The question has been. Asked in the hearings we have had and can i ask you a personal question, what was your salary when you lost yourjob question, what was your salary when you lost your job from the question, what was your salary when you lost yourjob from the post office . You lost your ob from the post office . ~. , , i i i i office . Mine was ust under £20,000 er office . Mine was ust under £20,000 er ear office . Mine was ust under £20,000 per year because office . Mine wasjust under £20,000 per year because it office . Mine wasjust under £20,000 per year because it was office . Mine wasjust under £20,000 per year because it was a office . Mine wasjust under £20,000 per year because it was a small, per year because it was a small, one count of Retail Business. Mine per year because it was a small, one count of Retail Business. Count of Retail Business. Mine was about 26,000. Count of Retail Business. Mine was about 26,000. The count of Retail Business. Mine was about 26,000. The office count of Retail Business. Mine was about 26,000. The office of about 26,000. The office of remuneration about 26,000. The office of remuneration was about 26,000. The office of remuneration was about about 26,000. The office of remuneration was about 113,000. Remuneration was about 43,000. Obviously remuneration was about 43,000. Obviously It Remuneration was about 43,000. Obviously it is remuneration was about 43,000. Obviously it is a remuneration was about 43,000. Obviously it is a Pittance Remuneration was about 43,000. Obviously it is a pittance and remuneration was about 43,000. Obviously it is a pittance and in. Obviously it is a pittance and in many ways it could be described as below the minimum wage. Absolutely horrendous. Thank you. Just below the minimum wage. Absolutely horrendous. Thank you. Horrendous. Thank you. Just very cuickl , horrendous. Thank you. Just very quickly. Tim. Horrendous. Thank you. Just very quickly. Tim. In horrendous. Thank you. Just very quickly, tim, in fairness horrendous. Thank you. Just very quickly, tim, in fairness to horrendous. Thank you. Just very quickly, tim, in fairness to the l quickly, tim, in fairness to the minister. Quickly, tim, in fairness to the minister. I quickly, tim, in fairness to the minister, i did quickly, tim, in fairness to the minister, i did hear quickly, tim, in fairness to the minister, i did hear that quickly, tim, in fairness to the minister, i did hear that you i quickly, tim, in fairness to the i minister, i did hear that you could have minister, i did hear that you could have got minister, i did hear that you could have got yourself minister, i did hear that you could have got yourself an minister, i did hear that you could have got yourself an interim have got yourself an Interim Settlement have got yourself an Interim Settlement of have got yourself an Interim Settlement of up have got yourself an Interim Settlement of up to have got yourself an interim. Settlement of up to £450,000 have got yourself an Interim Settlement of up to £450,000 in circumstances settlement of up to £450,000 in circumstances such settlement of up to £450,000 in circumstances such as settlement of up to £450,000 in circumstances such as Yours Settlement of up to £450,000 in i circumstances such as yours where settlement of up to £450,000 in circumstances such as yours where it may be circumstances such as yours where it may be that circumstances such as yours where it may be that the circumstances such as yours where it may be that the sum circumstances such as yours where it may be that the sum ultimately circumstances such as yours where it may be that the sum ultimately duel may be that the sum ultimately due to you may be that the sum ultimately due to you is may be that the sum ultimately due to you is significantly may be that the sum ultimately due to you is significantly more may be that the sum ultimately due to you is significantly more than to you is significantly more than £600. 000 to you is significantly more than £600,000. Has to you is significantly more than £600,000. Has that to you is significantly more than £600,000. Has that been to you is significantly more than £600,000. Has that been explored in your circumstances £600,000. Has that been explored in your circumstances or £600,000. Has that been explored in your circumstances or are £600,000. Has that been explored in your circumstances or are you £600,000. Has that been explored in your circumstances or are you aware i your circumstances or are you aware of people your circumstances or are you aware of people taking your circumstances or are you aware of people taking up your circumstances or are you aware of people taking up the your circumstances or are you aware of people taking up the offer your circumstances or are you aware of people taking up the offer of your circumstances or are you aware of people taking up the offer of an. Of people taking up the offer of an interim of people taking up the offer of an interim payment . Of people taking up the offer of an interim payment . That of people taking up the offer of an interim payment . Of people taking up the offer of an interim payment . That offer is very recent and that interim payment . That offer is very recent and that interim interim payment . That offer is very recent and that interim payment. Recent and that interim payment should come when the claim is submitted, and hopefully mine will be submitted soon. Of course the £450,000 is minus any interim payments you have already had. The £600,000 is an awful lot of money to most people, as is the 450000 and that would help me in my situation while the full claim is assessed, greatly, but myself ive got a baby due with my first partner injune this year and i dont want into rooms or steps, i want to be able to not worry about the post office and not worry about the post office and not think about it nearly every day. I want to put it behind me and move on with my life. I want to put it behind me and move on with my life on with my life. Thank you. Thank ou, on with my life. Thank you. Thank you. Chair on with my life. Thank you. Thank you. Chair i on with my life. Thank you. Thank you, chair. I appreciate on with my life. Thank you. Thank you, chair. I appreciate all on with my life. Thank you. Thank you, chair. I appreciate all of on with my life. Thank you. Thank you, chair. I appreciate all of your thoughts on this. Whilst you are not with the post office now, i assume you have friends and former colleagues who still work with the post office and you still have a relationship with the post office as we go through the process. In your view is the culture of the post office changed since you were there . I think they either think weve got away with something or they dont believe our version of the story. I5 believe our version of the story. Is there anything positive about this change . There anything positive about this chance . , there anything positive about this change . Hie. My question is for mr change . Its. My question is for mr higginbotham. I want to ask about the leadership higginbotham. I want to ask about the leadership in higginbotham. I want to ask about the leadership in the higginbotham. I want to ask about the leadership in the post higginbotham. I want to ask about the leadership in the post office. L the leadership in the post office. Youve the leadership in the post office. Youve been the leadership in the post office. Youve been involved the leadership in the post office. Youve been involved for the leadership in the post office. Youve been involved for 25 the leadership in the post office. | youve been involved for 25 years the leadership in the post office. I youve been involved for 25 years in which youve been involved for 25 years in which theres youve been involved for 25 years in which theres been youve been involved for 25 years in which theres been changes youve been involved for 25 years in which theres been changes in which theres been changes in leadership, which theres been changes in leadership, 50 which theres been changes in leadership, so at which theres been changes in leadership, so at any which theres been changes in leadership, so at any time which theres been changes in| leadership, so at any time has which theres been changes in leadership, so at any time has the arrival leadership, so at any time has the arrival of leadership, so at any time has the arrival of a leadership, so at any time has the arrival of a new leadership, so at any time has the arrival of a new chairman leadership, so at any time has the arrival of a new chairman or leadership, so at any time has the arrival of a new chairman or chiefl arrival of a new chairman or Chief Executive arrival of a new chairman or Chief Executive ted arrival of a new chairman or Chief Executive Led you arrival of a new chairman or Chief Executive Led you to arrival of a new chairman or Chief Executive Led you to think, arrival of a new chairman or Chief Executive Led you to think, there | Executive Led you to think, there might Executive Led you to think, there might be Executive Led you to think, there might be someone Executive Led you to think, there might be someone new Executive Led you to think, there might be someone new in Executive Led you to think, there | might be someone new in charge Executive Led you to think, there might be someone new in charge and that might might be someone new in charge and that might make might be someone new in charge and that might make things might be someone new in charge and that might make things difference. Might be someone new in charge and that might make things difference inl that might make things difference in the matter . That might make things difference in the matter . ,. , �. , the matter . Over the years ive done the matter . Over the years ive done the ost the matter . Over the years ive done the post office the matter . Over the years ive done the post office the the matter . Over the years ive done the post office the culture the matter . Over the years ive done the post office the culture has the post office the culture has always been about the post office and it hasnt changed and been the same for donkeys years and it will not change and you cannot change it. My not change and you cannot change it. My personal view about post office is its a dead duck and has been for years and will be a money pit for the taxpayerfor years and will be a money pit for the taxpayer for years to come and you should sell it to somebody like amazon for a pound and get really good contracts from all of the serving Sub Postmasters and in eu years you will have One Of The Best networks around. That years you will have One Of The Best networks around. Networks around. That is a very radical proposal networks around. That is a very radical proposal and networks around. That is a very radical proposal and im networks around. That is a very radical proposal and im not. Networks around. That is a very l radical proposal and im not sure that many of our constituents would be comfortable with it but interesting it comes from you and i just wanted to ask about the more recent leadership, did the leadership of mr reed give you any comfort, hes going to get stuck into sorting out these problems for us . , , ,. , into sorting out these problems for us . , i,. , us . From my perspective and those weve been us . From my perspective and those weve been involved us . From my perspective and those weve been involved with, us . From my perspective and those weve been involved with, its us . From my perspective and those weve been involved with, its not. Weve been involved with, its not about words, its about deeds and we see no deeds that have changed anything. All we hear these words all the time saying yes this has changed, yes we are doing this or that but nothing has changed. The matter of words, we had this claim by the previous chairman which have been substantially refuted but the governments have told him to delay payments. Do you think theres any truth that that might happen . It truth that that might happen . Ut wouldnt surprise me and i dont know factually one way or the other but it does seem to be the way things are going. Taste but it does seem to be the way things are going. Things are going. We have mr staunton in things are going. We have mr staunton in front things are going. We have mr staunton in front is things are going. We have mr staunton in front is late things are going. We have mr staunton in front is late and l things are going. We have mr i staunton in front is late and you will have the opportunity to challenge him. But what i might ask mr bentham and mr downing, when you heard the remarks, what did you think . It heard the remarks, what did you think . , ~ , ,. , ~ , think . It makes sense. It makes sense things think . It makes sense. It makes sense things are think . It makes sense. It makes sense things are slow, think . It makes sense. It makes sense things are slow, that think . It makes sense. It makes sense things are slow, that they j sense things are slow, that they seem to be held up and they go into the machine and sit there for months and months and it does seem that way. Mr and months and it does seem that wa. ~ �. , i and months and it does seem that way i dont and months and it does seem that way. I dont know. And months and it does seem