Latest tribunal fees plans blasted

Plans to make workers with household savings of £3,000 pay the full cost of going to an employment tribunal have been attacked by the TUC.

Under the new proposals, announced last month, any individual or household that has £3,000 in savings will not be entitled to any fee remission.

From this month, they will have to pay the maximum £1,200 fee to take a case to tribunal even if they are in a low-paid job or on means-tested benefits.

The TUC has calculated that the decision to prevent people with £3,000 household savings from being eligible for fee remission will affect over two-fifths of all UK households and more than a third of couples with children.

And there is real concern that low-paid workers will be forced to raid their savings or will even be deterred from pursuing genuine cases.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said the plans “will seriously limit access to justice for those who have been prudent enough to put money aside for hard times”, adding that they would deter victims from challenging unlawful employer behaviour.

Low-paid and older workers are likely to be the biggest victims, she warned, resulting in yet more power being given to the worst bosses.