'Get the basics right' | Employment tribunal backlog tops 530,000 as unfair dismissal & disability claims surge

Employment tribunal claims continued to climb in the first three months of 2026, with a growing backlog of cases and sharp increases in claims involving unfair dismissal, disability discrimination and whistleblowing.

New Ministry of Justice statistics show there were 52,400 new employment tribunal claims lodged between January and March 2026, while the number of open claims reached 531,000 by the end of the quarter.