Fees To Be Introduced In The Employment Tribunal
News
16 July, 2012
An Employment Solicitor is warning that the introduction of fees in the Employment Tribunal will not have the wide reaching effect that the Ministry of Justice is hoping for.
The consultation on the introduction of fees in Employment Tribunals has been published by the MoJ and is an apparent attempt to lower the cost of the Tribunal system to the tax payer. The intention is to introduce the fees for Tribunal claims in summer 2013, these include:
- Very straightforward claims such as unlawful deductions - £160 to issue a claim and £230 when this is listed for hearing
- Majority of other claims, unfair dismissal etc. - £250 to issue and £950 for a hearing
- Employment Appeal Tribunal - £400 appeal issue fee and £1,200 for a hearing.
Amy Stokes, Employment Solicitor at Forbes comments:
"Although any measure taken to reduce the number of weak claims will be welcomed by businesses and the already overstretched Tribunal system, this proposal may not have the effect the MoJ is hoping for as it is expected there will be exemptions for those on various state benefits or with a household income below a certain threshold. As a large proportion of claims relate to those who are out of work, the likelihood is that these claimants will be in receipt of benefits and therefore probably exempt. "
