The ET1 Claim Form 


A tribunal claim is made by completing a Claim Form known as a Form ET1. It must be accompanied by:


• a tribunal fee or completed application form for fee remission (see page 455 for the position with online claims); and 


• the Acas Early Conciliation Certificate reference number, which must be inserted on the Form ET1 (see above).


Use of Form ET1 is compulsory. If the claim is not submitted on the correct form, or if some of the information is missing or illegible, it will not be admitted. It is important to make sure all the claims a member plans to make are included on the form. If a claim, such as disability discrimination, unfair dismissal or unlawful deduction of wages, is not included, it will not be part of the claim and adding it at a later date will be very difficult. 


The Acas Early Conciliation Certificate reference number must be correct, or the claim will be rejected. In Sterling v United Learning Trust [2015] UKEAT 0439/14/DM, a claimant who made a mistake on her Form ET1 with two digits of her Acas Conciliation Certificate reference number had her claim rejected. She missed the claim deadline as a result and was not allowed to bring her claim for unfair dismissal.


A paper copy of the ET1 claim form can be obtained from Jobcentres, most advice agencies, the Citizens Advice Bureau and benefit offices, or it can be downloaded, with guidance, from the Gov.UK webpage: Take your employer to an employment tribunal. 


There is an employment tribunal public inquiry telephone number: 0845 7959775 for copies in alternative formats, such as large print or Braille.


The government wants most claimants to submit their claims online. The weblink for online applications is: https://employmenttribunals.service.gov.uk/apply. One advantage of an online application is that an immediate email acknowledgement is provided, leaving no room for argument about whether the claim was issued in time. It is also easier to make sure nothing essential is omitted. However, fee remission still cannot be applied for online. 


If the ET1 Claim Form is submitted by post, it should be sent to the Employment Tribunal Central Office (England and Wales) PO Box 10218, Leicester LE1 8EG, or in Scotland to the Employment Tribunals Central Office (Scotland) PO Box 27105 Glasgow G2 9JR. A tracked postal method should be used.


Faxed and emailed claim forms are not allowed.