Currently, bringing a claim to the Employment Tribunal (ET) is free of charge. From July 2013, this is set to change, however, with the introduction of fees for single claims to the ET as follows:

• For level 1 claims (i.e. claims for sums due on termination of employment, such as unpaid wages, payment in lieu of notice, redundancy payments etc.) the issue fee will be £160 and the hearing fee will be £230; and
• For level 2 claims (i.e. claims relating to unfair dismissal, discrimination, equal pay claims and claims arising under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 etc.) the issue fee will be £250 and the hearing fee will be £950.

The fee for bringing an appeal to the EAT will be £400 and the hearing fee will be £1,200.



The fee structure for multiple claims will depend on the number of claimants.



Fees will be payable via the Internet as part of the Ministry of Justice’s commitment to delivering digital services for its users. The aim is to provide online services ‘that are so straightforward and convenient that all those who can use them will choose to do so, while those who can’t are not excluded’.



The current cost of running the ET service is £84 million per annum. The Government is committed to reviewing the fee structure once implemented to assess its impacts in order to consider if changes are needed.