Expenses, benefits and financial loss
-
travelling expenses
-
a subsistence allowance
-
loss of earnings/benefits
-
an allowance for other financial loss
Travelling expenses
You may claim the cost of the return journey between your home and the court as follows:
-
If you use the bus or train: the standard return fare.
-
If you have to use your car:
-
an allowance based on the number of miles you have travelled. You will be expected to take the most direct route to the court.
-
Parking fees may be paid at some courts. Contact the court office to find out about this before you pay any fees.
-
-
In an emergency or where there is no bus or train which you could use:
-
the court may pay the cost of a taxi. Always check with the court before you take a taxi. If the court agrees to cover the cost of a taxi you must get a receipt from the driver.
-
Subsistence allowance
This is an allowance towards the cost of food and drink while you are at the court. The allowance paid is a fixed amount and depends on how long you have to be away from home or work for each day of your jury service.
Loss of earnings
If you are an employee:
If you are employed and you will lose earnings while you are serving as a juror, your employer must fill in the Certificate of Loss of Earnings, including whether or not you may return to work on the days or half-days that you are not required at court.
Your employer must:
-
stamp the Certificate with the official business stamp; or
-
attach an original compliment slip or sheet of headed notepaper to it, which has the name and address of the business printed on it; or
-
provide some other evidence of the business which the court may keep.
Bring the Certificate, and any letter, with you on your first day at court.
If you are self-employed:
If you are self-employed you will have to provide the court with some evidence that you have lost earnings: a letter from your accountant, for example. If you think you will have to pay to obtain the evidence, please get advice from the court office first.
If you are in receipt of benefits:
If you are receiving a benefit, you should show the Certificate of Loss of Benefit to the unemployment benefit office or social security office which pays your benefit. They will tell you how jury service affects your claim. If you will lose benefit because you are doing jury service, they will fill in the Certificate and give it back to you.
Bring the Certificate with you when you come to the court on your first day. You will need the Certificate to claim back the benefit you have lost.
If you are being credited with National Insurance contributions ask the unemployment benefit office, or social security office which awards the credits, to explain how jury service affects you.
Allowance for other financial loss
You may also claim for:
-
fees paid to carers or child-minders which you have to make solely because of jury service
-
other payments which you have to make because of jury service.
You may claim for more than one financial loss but the total amount which the court can pay you cannot be more than the maximum allowance, which includes loss of earnings.
Fees to carers or child-minders
You may claim for payments you make to a carer or child-minder solely because of jury service. You must provide a receipt, or a letter signed by the carer, to say how much you paid them for each day.
Other payments
If you had to make other payments because of jury service you may claim for these. You must provide the court with a receipt, or a signed letter, which explains what the payments were for and gives the amounts. You will also be asked why you had to make the payment.