No more tribunal fees, but has it made a difference?
26 March 2018
Following the Supreme Court’s decision in R (on the application of UNISON) v Lord Chancellor last summer, we saw fees for employment tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal being abolished. In the immediate aftermath of the decision, there was speculation as to whether the removal of fees would result in an increase in claims in the future. As figures have become available, those effects have now started to be reported, and make for interesting reading.
Last December the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) published statistics which revealed that claims had increased by 64% between July and September 2017 in comparison to the same period in the previous year. This was the highest increase seen since fees were introduced four years ago. This trend has continued as more recent figures show the increase for October 2017 to December 2017 to be 90% (for single party claims). Rather unsurprisingly, it also records a backlog increase.
The Employment Tribunals National User Group reported in January that the most significant increase was in low-value claims. This is particularly interesting, as it supports the Supreme Court’s concern that these were the type of claims which were discouraged most by having to pay fees. So far the government is reported to have refunded 3,400 payments totalling £2.8 million.
An employment law masters’ graduate with extensive experience in employee relations and negotiations, Helen helps the employment team across areas such as legal research, drafting employment policies and tribunal preparation. She also advises businesses on immigration matters and assists them with securing sponsorship licences. Prior to joining the firm she gained experience in collective consultation and redundancy and restructuring exercises and has also worked as a legal researcher for an employment law barrister.
Our legal experts have been busy sharing valuable expertise in their first series of free webinars for employers, and businesses across the county who missed the live events can now…
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) has thrown a much-needed lifeline to businesses experiencing cashflow difficulties as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. 17 December 2020 Today, Rishi Sunak…
The global outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) and the government’s resulting emergency measures have had severe implications for many businesses. Read on for answers to some frequently-asked questions on corporate &…
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through our website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorised as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyse and understand how you use our website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies but it may affect your browsing experience on our website. You can find our cookie policy here.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for our website to function and enable core functionality such as security and accessibility. These cookies do not store any personal information. You can block these cookies by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.
We use performance cookies such as Google Analytics to help us count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily. The cookies collect information in a way that does not directly identify anyone. For more information on how these cookies work, please see our cookie policy.