Apply the daily limits for lost earnings, then add travel and food.
| Days | Daily limit | Claimed |
|---|
Short days are counted as your last days of service. Limits as published by GOV.UK, NI Courts and Tribunals Service and Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, checked October 2026. The court decides your claim.
This jury service loss of earnings calculator works out what jurors in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland can claim back in 2026: lost earnings and care costs up to the daily limits, plus travel, parking and food, using the rates published by GOV.UK and the court services. It applies the right limit to each day, based on whether you sat for more or less than 4 hours and how many days you have served, and it shows how much of your pay the limits leave uncovered. Figures checked October 2026.
Quick answer: in England and Wales you can claim lost earnings of up to £64.95 a day for your first 10 days, or £32.47 for 4 hours or less, rising to £129.91 from day 11. Travel is 31.4p a mile by car and food £5.71 a day. The jury service loss of earnings calculator adds it up.
In This Guide
What Is Jury Service Loss of Earnings?
Jury service loss of earnings is the money the court repays you for income you lose while serving as a juror, up to a fixed daily limit. Jurors are not paid for the service itself, and employers do not have to pay staff while they are on a jury, so this allowance is what stops the time at court costing you your wages.
The formula in plain words: for each day, take the earnings you lost plus any extra childcare or care costs, and claim that amount or the daily limit, whichever is lower. Add up the days, then add travel (miles times the mileage rate, or your fares), parking and the food allowance for the hours you were away. The GOV.UK rates for employees are the same as those for self employed jurors and people who are not working, so the calculation works for everyone in England and Wales.
How to Use the Jury Service Loss of Earnings Calculator
Step 1: Choose the Nation and Your Daily Loss
Pick where the court is, then enter the gross pay you lose each day and any extra childcare or care costs caused by attending. An employee on a salary can divide yearly pay by working days; for example £33,600 over 240 working days is £140. If your contract is part time, the pro rata salary calculator gives the real yearly figure to divide. Leave the care box at zero if attending court adds no childcare or care costs.
Step 2: Enter Your Days at Court
Type the total days you attended and how many of them lasted 4 hours or less. Most trials need you for up to 10 working days, but longer trials move you into the higher daily limit. The calculator counts your short days as your last days of service, which is often when a trial ends early in the day.
Step 3: Add Travel and Food
Choose how you travel. For car, motorcycle or bicycle enter the return miles each day, and the mileage rate fills in for your nation; for public transport enter your daily fares. Add passengers you take to court, any parking, and how long you are away from home so the right food allowance is used.
Step 4: Read Your Claim
The headline is your total claim. The stats split it into loss of earnings, travel and food, and show any lost pay above the limits that you cannot claim. The table lists each band of days with its limit, so you can check the figure against the court's own calculator when you submit your claim.
How Much Do You Get Paid for Jury Service?
You do not get paid for jury service, but you can claim up to £64.95 a day for lost earnings in your first 10 days in England and Wales, or £32.47 for a day of 4 hours or less, and up to £129.91 a day from day 11, plus travel and food. Anyone earning more than those limits will be out of pocket unless their employer pays them.
Worked example: Owen is a bank branch adviser in Cardiff earning £33,600 a year, and his employer does not pay staff on jury service. He sits for 12 days, the last 2 of them short days of under 4 hours, and loses £140 a day. Days 1 to 10 are capped at £64.95, which is £649.50. Days 11 and 12 are short days after day 10, capped at £64.95 each, which is £129.90. He drives 18 miles a day, so 216 miles at 31.4p is £67.82, and he is away 9 hours a day, so food is 12 x £5.71, or £68.52. His total claim is £915.74, leaving £900.60 of his wages uncovered.
| Daily loss of earnings limit | England and Wales | Northern Ireland | Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 hours or less | £32.47 (days 1 to 10), £64.95 (day 11 on) | £32.47 (days 1 to 10), £64.95 (day 11 on) | £32.47 |
| More than 4 hours, early days | £64.95 (days 1 to 10) | £64.95 (days 1 to 10) | £64.95 (days 1 to 5) |
| More than 4 hours, later days | £129.91 (day 11 on) | £129.91 (day 11 on) | £129.91 (days 6 to 100), £230 (after day 100) |
| Car mileage | 31.4p a mile | 25.7p a mile | 31.4p a mile |
| Food and drink | £5.71 up to 10 hours, £12.17 over 10 | £5.71 for 5 to 10 hours, £12.17 over 10 | £5.71 up to 10 hours, £12.17 over 10 |
Can Self Employed Jurors Claim Loss of Earnings?
Yes, self employed jurors can claim the same daily limits as employees, but you need to show what you lost. A practical method is to take net profit from your last tax return, divide it by the days you normally work, and add any specific costs such as paying someone to cover for you. The GOV.UK self employed guidance sets out the same limits, and the Scottish court service asks for a tax return or certified accounts as evidence. A plumber with £31,200 net profit over 240 working days loses £130 a day, so most of a 10 day trial is capped at £64.95.
What Expenses Can You Claim for Jury Service?
You can claim loss of earnings, childcare or care costs, travel and parking, and food and drink. In England and Wales, travel by car or motorcycle is 31.4p a mile and bicycle 9.6p, with 4.2p a mile for one passenger and 3.2p for each extra passenger. If you drive for work, the mileage allowance calculator shows how these rates compare with HMRC's business mileage rates. Public transport is repaid at the ticket price, and taxis need the court's agreement first. Employees need their employer to fill in a certificate of loss of earnings, and if you are on benefits, show your summons to your work coach as soon as it arrives.
Time at court also affects your working pattern. If your employer asks you to make up hours around the trial, the 48 hour week average calculator checks that court days and work together stay within the legal limit. You will be told how to claim when your service ends, so keep receipts, parking tickets and a note of your hours each day.
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How we checked this tool: the Tools Veria Editorial Team built this tool by hand, checked it against the official rules or published standards where they apply, and tested it against worked examples. Results are estimates for planning, not personal financial or tax advice. Read our editorial policy and disclaimer, or report an error.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you get paid for jury service in the UK?
Jurors are not paid, but in England and Wales you can claim lost earnings of up to £64.95 a day for the first 10 days, or £32.47 for 4 hours or less, rising to £129.91 a day from day 11, plus travel and food.
Does my employer have to pay me during jury service?
No. Employers must give you time off for jury service but do not have to pay you. If they do not, you claim loss of earnings from the court using a certificate your employer fills in, up to the daily limits.
What is the food allowance for jury service?
In England and Wales the food and drink allowance is £5.71 a day for up to 10 hours and £12.17 a day for more than 10 hours. In Northern Ireland the £5.71 rate applies when you are away for 5 to 10 hours.
What is the mileage rate for jury service?
In England and Wales and in Scotland, car and motorcycle travel is repaid at 31.4p a mile and bicycle at 9.6p a mile. England and Wales add 4.2p a mile for one passenger. Northern Ireland pays 25.7p a mile.
What happens if jury service lasts more than 10 days?
In England and Wales and Northern Ireland the daily loss of earnings limit doubles from day 11, to £129.91 for more than 4 hours and £64.95 for 4 hours or less. In Scotland the higher £129.91 limit starts on day 6.
Can I claim childcare costs for jury service?
Yes. Extra childcare or care costs you pay because of jury service can be claimed, but they share the same daily limit as loss of earnings. In England and Wales that is £64.95 a day for days 1 to 10.