Post Offic e Limited - Document Classification: PUBLIC
Eleanor Shaikh
Date
24 October 2024
Post Office
100 Wood Street
request-1182972-
London EC2V 9ER
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Your Ref:
Classification:
Public
Dear Eleanor Shaikh,
Freedom of Information Request – FOI2024/01324
We are writing in response to your email received by Post Office Limited (“
Post
Office”) on 3 October, which has been dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (“
FOIA”).
In your email you have requested the information shown verbatim in bold below:
“
Dear Information Rights Team,
Please can you disclose:
i) How much money was recovered by the Post Office from SPMs for al eged
losses in their branch accounts, per month, between December 2019 and
December 2022?
i ) How much money representing al eged shortfalls in branch accounts has been
written off by the Post Office, per month, between December 2019 and the
present?
i i) What is the current total figure of unreconciled shortfalls which remain in
dispute between the Post Office and its SPMs which has yet to be repaid or
written off?”
Page 1 of 4
Post Office Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered No. 2154540.
Registered Office 100 Wood Street, London WC2V 7ER
postoffice.co.uk
Post Office and the Post Office logo are registered trade marks of Post Office Limited.
Post Offic e Limited - Document Classification: PUBLIC
We want to be as open as possible in answering requests for information. The FOIA
itself also requires us to provide reasonable advice and assistance to those seeking
to make such a request. Unfortunately, your request is very broad and could cover a
breadth of information, potentially going back many years. Gathering it together
would therefore involve a significant cost and diversion of resources from the
organisation's other work.
It may be helpful to explain why your request would involve a significant cost.
This is due to the way information is held in our finance system, it is very difficult to
identify activity directly related to shortfalls / losses ‘unexplained shortfalls’ and,
therefore, the information that you have requested falls under section 12(1) of the
FOIA relating to cost of compliance.
Section 12(1) of the FOIA allows Post Office to refuse a request for information if we
estimate that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate
fees limit, which currently stands at £450. This represents the estimated cost of one
person spending 18 hours in determining whether we hold the information, and in
locating, retrieving and extracting the information. On the basis of our estimates, we
consider that the cost would exceed this limit and, as such, we are refusing your
request.
Section 12(2) provides that we are not required to confirm whether Post Office holds
the information requested if by doing so we would exceed the appropriate cost limit
of £450. This is the case for the information that you have requested, and so please
note that this response should not be taken as confirmation that the information is
held by Post Office.
However, if you were to make a new request for a narrower category of information,
it may be that we could comply with that request within the appropriate limit. The
best way we can help you is to ask you to consider narrowing down your request to
focus more clearly on the precise information you are seeking. You could, for
example
just ask one of the questions and we can see if that can be within cost limit. Please note that if you modify your request, we will handle it as a new request and
so the 20-working-day deadline for responding to requests would then commence
from the date that we receive the modified request and may also be subject to the
cost limit or other FOI exemptions.
Page 2 of 4
postoffice.co.uk
Classification
Post Offic e Limited - Document Classification: PUBLIC
Information that Post Office publishes can be found on the Post Office website at:
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/our-publication-scheme
In addition, there is published information about the way in which Post Office now
addresses branch discrepancies which may provide helpful background and context
for you. A diagram showing the process can be found on our website here:
https://corporate.postoffice.co.uk/en/horizon-scandal-pages/improving-our-systems-
and-processes/
There has also recently been evidence published by the current statutory Post Office
Horizon IT Inquiry on this subject matter and this can be found on their website at:
https://www.postofficehorizoninquiry.org.uk/
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of this response, you do have a right to
request an internal review. You can do this by writing to the address above within 40
working days of receipt of this response stating your reasons for your internal review
request or alternatively, by emailing
inxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx.
If, having requested an internal review by Post Office, you are still not satisfied with
our response you also have a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
www.ico.org.uk/foicomplaints
Yours sincerely,
Page 3 of 4
postoffice.co.uk
Classification
Post Offic e Limited - Document Classification: PUBLIC
Information Rights Team
xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx
https://corporate.postoffice.co.uk/en/governance/access-to-information/access-to-
information/
Post Office Limited is committed to protecting your privacy, information about
how we do this can be found on our website at www.postoffice.co.uk/privacy
Page 4 of 4
postoffice.co.uk
Classification
