Government will not be re-introducing employment tribunal fees

On 9 October 2025, the new Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, David Lammy MP, advised that the government would not be re-introducing fees in the employment tribunals.
  
David Lammy MP, the new Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, has stated that the Labour government will not be reintroducing fees in the employment tribunals. He observed that it is a fundamental principle that everyone, regardless of their income, should have access to justice to challenge unfair workplace behaviour.
 
Responding to the announcement, Paul Nowak, Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), indicated that unions were ready to work with the government to deliver an accessible justice system and that this would include helping workers resolve problems in the workplace, not the courts.
 
It had been reported in The Guardian that the government was considering the reintroduction of fees, with a Ministry of Justice spokesperson suggesting that, having inherited a justice system in crisis, decisions on the department’s spending and fees for the next few years were ongoing. The Employment Rights Bill is expected to result in an increase in employment tribunal claims, which could result in further delays in claims being heard.
 
Fees have not been payable in the employment tribunals or EAT since 2017, when the previous regime was declared unlawful by the Supreme Court. The previous Conservative government consulted on the reintroduction of fees in the employment tribunals and EAT from January to March 2024.

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This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Please note that the law may have changed since this article was published.