Jury service leaving people out of pocket

New study finds statutory payments not always enough.

If you get called up for jury service you could be left seriously out of pocket thanks to meagre Government allowances.

There is no legal obligation for companies to pay employees while they are on jury service. However, jurors are entitled to claim a loss of earnings allowance from the court.

This allowance is meagre though at a maximum of £32.47 a day for the first 10 days when serving for less than four hours and £64.95 a day if in court for longer than that.

Research by Churchill Home Insurance has found that one in 20 employers don’t pay any wages to employees when they are on jury service. While the majority pay something, a third of companies stop paying employees if they are on a jury for more than five days, while 11% stop paying after only one day.

The law sets out that a juror could have to sit on a case that lasts up to six months but only 12% of employers would pay someone for that length of leave for jury service.

“Completing jury service is a civic duty that many Britons take pride in, but our research reveals it often leaves them out of pocket,” says Martin Scott, head of Churchill Home Insurance. “For a juror sitting on a long trial, with an employer not paying their regular wages, surviving on statutory payments while meeting their regular financial commitments could be very difficult.”

Of course, if you're self-employed the potential loss could be far greater.

Getting money back

With approximately 178,000 people in England and Wales carrying out jury service each year the financial ramifications could be hefty. As well as daily expenses, you are also entitled to claim for travel, lunch and refreshments and other expenses such as additional childcare that are beyond your normal arrangements.

One way to claim a potential loss of earnings back is to see if your home insurance policy includes legal protection. If it does read the wording as some policies do cover your salary while on jury service.

“One freelance lawyer claimed over £5,000 from their policy for lost wages when they were called to serve on a jury for eight days,” Martin Scott added.

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