Latest tribunal statistics show claims down by 79 percent following introduction of fees. The Ministry of Justice have published the tribunal quarterly statistics for October to December 2013.

The key employment tribunal statistics are as follows: The number of claims received in October to December 2013 was 9,801 – 79 percent fewer than in the same period of 2012, and 75 percent fewer than last quarter; The number of multiple claims cases has been falling over the last few quarters, from around 1,500 in October to December 2012 to around 500 in October to December 2013; Of the jurisdictional complaints that were disposed of: 27 percent were for working time; 16 percent were for unfair dismissal;13 percent were for equal pay; and 11 percent were associated with discrimination.

These are the first set of figures which show the real impact of tribunal fees, the last set being distorted by the rush to submit claims before 29 July 2013, when fees were introduced. The dramatic 79 percent drop in claims would appear to give UNISON some very powerful ammunition in its appeal against the High Court’s decision that fees are not unlawful, particularly given the Court’s comment that in October 2013, when the case was heard, it was too soon to judge whether or not there had been a negative impact.