UK employment tribunals have a growing single-claim backlog, while judges describe AI’s possible contribution to claim complexity as anecdotal and a government department reports savings from a separate tool.
About 70,000 single claims remained open at the end of June 2026. During April-June, tribunals received roughly 14,000 and disposed of about 6,100, with receipts 28% above the same quarter a year earlier, Ministry of Justice statistics show. The ministry cautioned that counts of open single and lead-multiple cases may be overstated by around 3%.
The annual figures show the pressure continued across fiscal 2025-26: single-claim receipts rose 39% from the prior year, disposals fell 12% and the open caseload grew 55%. The statistics do not measure whether AI contributed to those changes.
At a March 12 meeting, Judge Barry Clarke, president of employment tribunals in England and Wales, said judges considered AI a possible factor in more complex claims, but characterized that view as anecdotal. He said there was no obvious explanation for the increase in receipts. Judge Susan Walker, president of employment tribunals in Scotland, reported a high volume of correspondence from mostly unrepresented users, often using AI. Clarke also contrasted the recent rise, which included more complex cases, with the 2020 pandemic surge weighted toward shorter claims.
Joint guidance effective June 22 says AI-generated submissions in applications for interim relief are often too long or unfocused. It permits tribunals to limit the documents and written submissions they consider in those applications.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said its Consult tool saved £200,000 and 2,418 staff hours across three public consultations. Separately, the government has set a £45 billion annual public-sector productivity savings target for a wider digital overhaul that includes AI; that figure is a goal, not savings already achieved by the tool.
The Work Rights Centre says AI may help workers understand their rights, while unfocused claims can add work for tribunals. Its report also cites judicial capacity that has not kept pace with caseloads, reduced access to legal advice and administrative delays. It says delays affect workers seeking remedies and employers awaiting decisions. The Ministry of Justice’s next quarterly tribunal statistics are scheduled for Dec. 10, 2026.
