LAWBITES
Employment tribunal takeaway Fees are returning to employment tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal. The government is consulting on a ‘modest’ £55 for claim issue (excepting cases required to establish an entitlement to a National Insurance Fund payment) and on an appeal. ‘Help with Fees’ might disapply or reduce. Consultation closes on 25 March so expect a draft response by breakfast the next day.
Child support giveaway The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) could do with a bit more business. Since the 2012 scheme got going, take up has been lower than predicted. The proportion of separated families with CMS arrangements stood at 19% at the last count. So how can more parents with care be encouraged to pile in with an application? Scrap the £20 application fee, which is currently only waivable for victims of domestic violence and the under-19s. That’s what they are doing, with help from the Child Support (Management of Payments and Arrears and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024/87),
