Axed youth career advisers are still waiting for redundancy payouts three months after a judicial ruling told a charity to give them the money.

Six south-west London councils had been locked in a two year legal battle about who was responsible for the redundancy pay of more than 80  former Connexions employees let go in April 2011.

A seven day tribunal in May this year finally found that the Centre for British Teachers’ Education Trust (CfBT), which was employed by the councils to run Connexions, should pay.

Kingston Council escaped an estimated £1m payout.

But the former staff members are still waiting for their money three months on.

Richard Birkett, commercial director for CfBT Education Trust, said: "We are currently in settlement negotiations with all employees affected by the employment tribunal in relation to the TUPE dispute between CfBT and the six London boroughs."

He declined to give out any further information about the sum of money involved, the disputes involved or how long the negotiations were expected to last.

The Connexions partnership on behalf of Kingston, Sutton, Richmond, Croydon and Merton started in 2001, but the Government announced it would cut funding from 2012 and return careers advice to schools.

The original Connexions contract between councils and CfBT was worth £5.2m before it was axed in April 2011, days after being awarded.

After the tribunal ruling in May, Marian Freedman, who worked at the Connexions shop in Brook Road, Kingston, as an adviser, said: “We have waited two years to get here. It is a long time to wait.

"There has been hardship amongst a few of my colleagues. None of us are wealthy.

"I don’t think it is over – that’s the problem. It won’t be over until people have got their money."


Are you still waiting for a payout? Call the newsdesk on 020 8744 4244.