Tribunal fees could be returning: All you need to know

The Government has announced a consultation to discuss the reintroduction of fees in the Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

The last time fees were introduced, the impact on claims was significant. The number of claims made significantly reduced due to the level that fees were placed at – £250 to initially issue a claim and £950 should the matter proceed to a hearing.

These were eventually deemed to be unlawful as they restricted access to justice, particularly in discrimination claims.

New proposals have now been made to introduce a one‐off fee of £55 to bring a claim in the Employment Tribunal. There wouldn’t be a second fee and there would be no distinction between the type of claim being brought.

There is also potentially a remission of fee structure, which would be means-based and could result in some not being required to pay.

As this is only at the consultation stage, which closes on March 25th 2024, it is yet to be seen whether this will be introduced, though the level at which fees are suggested does make it seem more reasonable than the previous regime.

Read more on the consultation here.