The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is to go ahead with its plans for a single fees and remissions system across the courts and tribunals.
Fee remissions – full or partial waivers of court or tribunal fees for individuals on low incomes – will be available for individuals who rely on certain state benefits or whose gross household monthly income falls below the stated threshold.
A new disposable capital test will apply, requiring anyone with £3,000-£8,000 disposable capital to spend up to a third of it on fees. If the person is older than 61 years then they need not pay unless they have a low income and less than £16,000 disposable household capital.
The remission system will not apply to the immigration and asylum chamber as a significant number of users reside outside the UK, the MoJ said.
The changes, outlined in the MoJ’s response to its consultation, Fee remissions for the courts and tribunals, are expected to come into effect in early October.