The charity bases its predictions on the backlog increasing at its current rate, and believes its estimates are conservative as they do not take into account a potential rise in cases following the expected wave of redundancies as the furlough scheme ends.
The queue of individual claims has already surpassed the post-2008 financial crisis record, with 37,000 claimants waiting. The average wait is 38 weeks.
Before the pandemic, the employment tribunal had more than 440,000 outstanding claims from individuals and groups of employees. Between April and June, the number of cases resolved dropped by 56%.
Citizens Advice chief executive, Dame Gillian Guy, said: ‘Employment tribunals need more emergency funding, and ultimately workers need a one-stop shop to protect their employment rights.’
