Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what happens if you can't afford to do jury service?

257 replies

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 04/09/2018 09:43

Let me start off by saying that I always thought I'd like to do jury service one day.

Now I've discovered that not only do my employers not pay you when you're on jury service, the rates courts pay you for loss of earnings are paltry - the sum I'd get for the first 10 days would be less than half what I'd actually lose, and rates from day 11 are still less than my wages so I couldn't actually afford to do it www.gov.uk/jury-service/what-you-can-claim

Can you refuse to do jury service on the grounds that you can't afford the loss of earnings? I'm single and have rent to pay, for context.

OP posts:
GraceMarks · 04/09/2018 11:40

pitapizzapie I think this is a feminist issue actually. However, instead of blaming women for generally having more caring responsibilities than men and finding it more difficult to attend without being put out of pocket, I think we ought to be holding employers and the court system to account for not offering more help.

For starters, I think it should be compulsory for employers to give all their employees paid special leave. I'm actually shocked that it isn't already tbh. The reimbursement of expenses incurred also ought to be a lot more flexible and should cover childcare costs if the juror can demonstrate that they have no alternative. We certainly shouldn't be in this situation where people are potentially going to be unable to pay their rent in order to fulfil their civic duty.

SheSparkles · 04/09/2018 11:40

I’m barred from duty duty because of my job, but at the age of 48 have only been called once. My dd was called a week after her 18th birthday!

Sockwomble · 04/09/2018 11:42

Sometimes there simply is no childcare.

CountessVonBoobs · 04/09/2018 11:45

I would defer for this reason and I would keep deferring

You request a deferral from the court, not just help yourself to one. And your service can only be deferred once.

MissMisery · 04/09/2018 11:48

I was called up once and wrote back to say that sorry, I have children to look after (sahm)
I was excused.

pitapizzapie · 04/09/2018 11:51

The reimbursement should be more, but it is £64/day, which would cover childcare in most places.

I agree, there needs to be more 'policy' about this, as people don't find out if their employer covers it until they're in the situation. As there is insurance that will pay out if called, then people /should/ find out their employer's policy, and if unpaid, or self employed, ensure their home insurance covers it, or if choosing to remain uninsured, then knowingly take that risk. Or it needs to be incorporated into 'national insurance', and the reimbursement should be equal to your usual wage/loss of earnings plus additional childcare.

But 'I don't want to use childcare!' doesn't cut it, I'm afraid, sometimes you have to use childcare.

Sockwomble · 04/09/2018 11:55

That still doesn't help those with children for whom there is no childcare.

ALittleAubergine · 04/09/2018 11:59

I hope I never get called to do it, I just don't see how I could afford it.

Fadingmemory · 04/09/2018 11:59

Write and explain. Say you would like to defer rather than saying a blanket, 'I can't.' Also say that you are unable to estimate when your financial circumstances will change and that you realise it is an important, civic duty.

One of the problems is that you may have to serve for only a short time but if you have to serve in a Crown Court, the case may go on for some time.

HPLikecraft · 04/09/2018 12:09

It's not possible to just pluck emergency childcare out of the air.

I think those saying they've never used it before aren't being snobby, they just mean that they don't have something in place to make use of, rather than that they'd never consider using childcare.

I was called up for jury service a couple of years ago. I wrote saying it would be difficult as DH worked away and I'd be stuck with children. I was excused.

Aus84 · 04/09/2018 12:13

Oh wow, you guys have it tough. I've been called up twice and both times I have been excused because I was the primary carer at the time and DH couldn't care for the kids instead because he was the main earner. I just had to fill in a form.

HPLikecraft · 04/09/2018 12:14

But 'I don't want to use childcare!' doesn't cut it, I'm afraid, sometimes you have to use childcare

Pita you clearly live in a utopia of available and flexible childcare, but most of us don't. When there's none available (I for example live in a very rural area), or you have to pre-book but you don't know if it's going to be 1 day or 6 months, or not sure when the day ends (very variable in duty service) the "just get childcare" doesn't quite cut it.

BigBlueBubble · 04/09/2018 12:15

I’m a SAHM and I hope I’m not called up. It would be a huge upheaval to put DC into care when they’ve never been in care. Not just in terms of finding temporary care for a week or two (I imagine most nurseries would say no if you only wanted to send your child for a week). But also in terms of distress for DC who aren’t used to being left by their DM.

IrmaFayLear · 04/09/2018 12:20

There are some disappointing attitudes here.

We rely on the jury system and jurors should be drawn from all sections of society. For some people to say "Not meeeeeee" as if they are somehow special is frankly pathetic.

(Of course those with genuine reasons - unwell, disabled dcs, carers, heavily pregnant and so on and so on should be excused.)

MrMeSeeks · 04/09/2018 12:20

What happens if you’re disabled? Can they still call you up?

lazymum99 · 04/09/2018 12:20

As an aside i found out recently that EU citizens resident in the UK can be called for jury service. The husband of a friend of mine was called.

CatsRule · 04/09/2018 12:24

@Hoppinggreen

Similar, all I can day too is that at a similar time my credit card (that I had actually cancelled but they ignored me and reissued it) went missing in the normal unsigned for post and I did you know about it until I received a bill. Lots go missing in the post!!

CatsRule · 04/09/2018 12:24

That should say I did not, not I did you!!

theunsure · 04/09/2018 12:25

I've always wondered about it too - I've always fancied doing it but never get called. I wonder if it is because I have moved house so much?

All my employers since I left Uni have had policies where you get full pay - so personally I'd be fine but my DH wouldn't be for a big trial.

I have to claim expenses from the court and my employer makes up the difference - good job too as I'm not on a huge salary but my earnings are more than double what the court will pay and my outgoings wouldn't allow for any reduction in earnings if it went beyond a few days.

I do think you should be able to claim the full cost of your pay back from the court to ensure that everyone can take part financially - and ideally provide a basic creche facility for children below school age.

I don't have DC but can see that the current set up is not very family friendly!

DGRossetti · 04/09/2018 12:26

There are some disappointing attitudes here.

I think the attitudes are a simple reflection of the fact that Jury Service is something everyone agrees is important right up to the moment it has to be paid for.

If it's that important, fund it properly.

BigBlueBubble · 04/09/2018 12:27

those saying they've never used it before aren't being snobby, they just mean that they don't have something in place to make use of
This. I don’t have free family childcare available and I’ve never been able to afford paid childcare. In an emergency DH or MIL would have to be excused from work to look after DC, but they quite rightly would not be excused for an extended period to cover my jury service, especially if they were busy or had used up all their vacation. Even if the court paid for childcare I’d still have to find a nursery that was willing to take DC at short notice for an unspecified period.

Verbena37 · 04/09/2018 12:27

I got excused because of heavy, flooding periods....they couldn’t guarantee that i’d be able to just get up and go to the loo (obviously) and so I said I couldn’t guarantee leaking all over their chair and how humiliating that would be in a courtroom! (I said it in a nicer way that that Grin). They excused me for the foreseeable. I joked that after the menopause I could go annually!

pitapizzapie · 04/09/2018 12:31

I for example live in a very rural area- as do I. But courts requiring jury service aren't. So, find a nursery/childminder/holiday club/nanny near the court. Or somewhere.

There is childcare out there, and jury service isn't dropped on you with no notice.

I agree, the reimbursement should be more. But our society expects people to take their turn at jury service, and luckily, our society has childcare facilities, especially in cities/large towns where courts are.

IrmaFayLear · 04/09/2018 12:33

I deferred before dd started school, but if your dcs are school age then there is no excuse.

I was reimbursed for the after-school club.

People refusing to use any childcare ever if they have NT dcs is downright stupid. And I speak as someone who has no family, let alone any to help out.

pitapizzapie · 04/09/2018 12:35

People refusing to use any childcare ever if they have NT dcs is downright stupid. And I speak as someone who has no family, let alone any to help out.

Yet people do. "Oh, I'd hate to put mine in childcare" said with a sneer. Well, sometimes you have to.