Statistics released by the Ministry of Justice show that Employment Tribunal claims have more than doubled after the scrapping of Tribunal fees and – according to the figures – there is a big increase in the number of employees bringing claims themselves without legal representation. This often makes defending claims more onerous for employers, who will be expected to take on more of the case preparation work by the Tribunal.

Since the Supreme Court ruling abolished all fees for bringing Tribunal claims, the number of claims increased by 165% compared to the same period in 2017. In answer to this, a new helpline has been launched by UNU Group.   This is a free legal helpline – founded by a group of industry experts. It is designed to offer support and impartial advice on employment law queries and has access to a network of partner legal firms who will assist with the cases, if necessary.  

Nigel Allen - UNU Group Director – stated:

“We know it can seem daunting to open an employment tribunal claim, especially if it’s against a larger company and many people simple don’t know where to start so sadly they are left suffering in silence.

Abolishing fees was a huge step in making the process fairer for everyone and we wanted to mirror that by offering out services without any cost implication. Hopefully, we can offer anyone who has a claim the confidence to seek compensation.”

It has been rumoured that the government may be working towards the re-introduction of tribunal fees. However, many in the legal sector disagree strongly with this.

Chairman of the Bar Council - Andrew Walker QC - stated:

“People in need of justice have enough hurdles to overcome already.”

He added:

“Justice is not a service bought by individuals for their private benefit, nor should it be treated in this way.”