Fujitsu forced to pump £80 million into UK arm following Post Office scandal

Japanese IT behemoth Fujitsu has been forced to inject £80 million into its UK business, as the fallout from the Post Office Horizon scandal continues to devastate its commercial prospects and order pipeline.

The emergency cash infusion from its Japanese parent company was “requested to strengthen the company’s balance sheet to meet its ongoing operational funding and capital requirements,” according to newly published accounts.

The move underscores the severe financial and reputational damage inflicted by the scandal, in which faulty Fujitsu software made it appear as though hundreds of subpostmasters were stealing, leading to wrongful prosecutions.

Fujitsu is widely expected to be ordered to contribute a significant sum towards compensating the victims. The accounts confirmed the parent company has committed to funding any eventual compensation payout.

The financial strain is clearly visible in the UK unit’s performance. Revenues fell by 9.2% to £1.1 billion in the year to March, while its pipeline of future contracts plunged by a fifth to £904.5 million. This drop caused the company’s book-to-bill ratio—a key measure of stability—to fall below 1, indicating a shrinking long-term business base.

Fujitsu acknowledged in its filings that the “loss of future new business due to reputational damage arising from the Horizon inquiry remains a key risk.” Last year, the company pledged not to bid for new government contracts amid intense public anger.

Nevertheless, the firm has continued to secure hundreds of millions in public sector deals through extensions to existing work, securing over £419 million in public sector contracts so far in 2025.