Note: a subsequent legal change has affected the accuracy of this material.
If you cannot afford employment tribunal fees, there are fee remissions available:
Benefits-based – no fee
You don’t have to pay a fee if you receive:
- Income support
- Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
- Pension credit guarantee credit
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Working tax credit but not also receiving child tax credit
- Dependants-based – no fee
No tribunal fees if your assets are less than £3k (you can exclude equity in your first home) and your gross annual income (including your partner’s) is no more than:
- Gross annual income for single person (couple)
- No children £13,000 (£18,000)
- 1 child £15,930 (£20,930)
- 2 children £18,860 (£23,860)
Fee remissions
Where you have two or more children, the amount of gross annual income for the purpose of this remission is the amount in the table above for two children plus a further £2,930 for each child additional child.
Means test – partial fee
Take your monthly net income. Deduct from it the following to get your ‘disposable monthly income’:
£315 for general living expenses
£159 if you have a partner
£244 per child
And your contributions towards any fee will be approximately as follows:
| Disposable monthly income | You pay: |
|---|---|
| £50 or less | Nothing |
| £51 | £12 |
| £100 | £25 |
| £200 | £50 |
| £400 | £150 |
| £500 | £200 |
| £600 | £250 |
| £700 | £300 |
| £800 | £350 |
| £900 | £400 |