Equal pay claims
Request data on equal pay claims lodged against the authority and settlement costs.
Equal pay claims have cost Scottish councils hundreds of millions of pounds. This data shows the current scale of claims and what has been spent resolving them.
Dear [AUTHORITY NAME],
Please provide the following information as at [DATE e.g. 31 March 2025]:
1. The total number of equal pay claims currently outstanding against the authority.
2. The total amount paid in equal pay settlements during [FINANCIAL YEAR e.g. 2024-25].
3. The total amount paid in equal pay settlements since the authority first began receiving claims.
4. The total spent on legal fees in relation to equal pay claims during [FINANCIAL YEAR e.g. 2024-25].
I would prefer to receive this by email.
Yours faithfully,
[YOUR NAME]
Who to send it to#
Your local council or other public body that has received equal pay claims. Find the right authority on the Commissioner’s directory of Scottish public authorities. You can also send your request through WhatDoTheyKnow, which publishes responses online.
Tips#
- Equal pay settlements are sometimes disclosed in annual accounts but often lack detail. A request can fill in the gaps.
- Some councils have settled equal pay claims in tranches over many years. Asking for the total since claims began (item 3) gives you the full picture.
- The Scottish Information Commissioner has ordered disclosure of equal pay settlement information in several cases.
- Legal fees (item 4) are a useful addition. In some cases the cost of fighting claims has been substantial.