£1,200 tribunal fee prompts 40 per cent fall in pregnancy-discrimination claims

Shadow women and equalities minister criticises their 'ill-thought-through introduction'

Maternity and pregnancy make up just 3 per cent of all discrimination claims (Getty Images)

The number of women lodging pregnancy-discrimination claims has fallen by 40 per cent since the Government introduced fees of £1,200 to go to a tribunal, new figures have revealed.

Sex-discrimination claims have fallen by 82 per cent since the fees were introduced in July 2013, the figures – which were quietly published by officials on Thursday – reveal.

Maternity and pregnancy make up just 3 per cent of all discrimination claims, yet 60,000 women are being forced out of their job while on maternity leave.

The figures were uncovered by the shadow women and equalities minister, Gloria De Piero, who said: “Thousands of women are being denied access to justice because of this Government’s ill-thought-through introduction of tribunal fees. A Labour government will reform tribunal fees to ensure cost is never a barrier to accessing justice.”