The Ministry of Justice has published its digital strategy, indicating that it will provide an online service for the payment of Employment Tribunal fees from July 2013.
Here is a reminder of the proposed fee structure. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Justice back in July 2012, in its response to the consultation on Employment Tribunal fees:
• Level 1 claims – these are claims "generally for sums due on termination of employment e.g. unpaid wages, payment in lieu of notice, redundancy payments". The issue fee for such claims will be £160; the hearing fee will be £230.
• Level 2 claims – these include those relating to unfair dismissal, discrimination, equal pay and whistleblowing. The issue fee for such claims will be £250; the hearing fee will be £950.
• Multiple claims – the issue fees and hearing fees will be higher, depending on the number of claimants in the multiple claim. For example, for Level 1 claims, the issue fee for 2-10 claimants will be £320 (twice the single fee).
• Other fees – other fees will apply to specific applications. For example, for an application for review in relation to a Level 1 claim, the fee would be £100.
• Employment Appeal Tribunal – the proposed fee for an appeal is £400; the proposed fee for the hearing is £1,200.
Many people on low incomes may not be required to pay the full fees, under the same remission system which already exists for court users who pay fees to use the civil courts' services. The Government has also stated that it is committed to reviewing the fee structure once implemented to assess its impact in order to consider if changes are needed.