After suffering a £60,000 loss in his post office due to wrongful accusations, Bates founded the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance (JFSA) in 2009 to advocate for those affected, significantly increasing awareness and support for the victims.

A major breakthrough occurred in 2019 when the High Court ruled that the Horizon system was fundamentally flawed, resulting in a settlement for 555 claimants.

Despite the ruling, only 111 wrongful convictions of former postmasters have been overturned, and alarmingly, no Post Office executives have faced criminal investigations for their roles in the scandal.

Bates has expressed frustration at the lack of updates from the Chancellor regarding compensation, highlighting the ongoing struggle for justice among the victims.

The Post Office scandal, one of the largest miscarriages of justice in recent British history, involved over 700 sub-postmasters who were wrongfully accused of fraud due to flaws in the Horizon electronic accounting system, resulting in devastating impacts on their reputations and livelihoods.

Alan Bates, now 70, was among the first to identify discrepancies in his accounts shortly after the Horizon system was implemented in 1999, which ultimately led him to dedicate his life to uncovering the truth behind the scandal.

Bates continues to campaign for justice, with his efforts recently spotlighted in the ITV drama 'Mr Bates vs The Post Office,' which has helped to further publicize the plight of the victims.

In recognition of the scandal's impact, the government has allocated £1.8 billion in the budget for the victims of the Post Office accounting scandal, alongside £11.8 billion for those affected by the infected blood scandal.

Victims are still awaiting compensation under the GLO compensation group established by the Post Office (Horizon System) Compensation Act 2024, with the deadline for claims having passed on August 7, 2024.

The tragic consequences of the scandal have been profound, with some individuals reportedly taking their own lives due to the immense stress and shame caused by the wrongful accusations.