Government proposes to reintroduce Employment Tribunal fees

The Government has commenced consultation regarding the reintroduction of fees for employees wishing to raise claims in the Employment Tribunal. These were previously in place up to July 2017 when they were ruled to be unlawful by the Supreme Court as they were seen as preventing access to justice. Employees then had to pay £250 to lodge a claim and then a further £950 to proceed to a hearing. 

The new proposal is for a one-off fee of £55 for an Employment Tribunal claim with no further fee being due in order to progress to a hearing.

A £55 one-off fee would also apply to an appeal hearing in the EAT.

As previously, a limited system will be in place for remission from the fees for those who are judged as being unable to afford to pay a fee.

This is a far more modest fee than previously which is therefore unlikely to attract an accusation of preventing access to justice. It is unlikely to deter employees from bringing a claim; however, it may give pause for thought to those who are considering raising a claim which has no merit in order to force a settlement from their employer.

HRSolutions can advise you on the full range of HR issues with a view to avoiding costly Tribunal claims.