What is changing to the HR1 forms from 1 December?

When an employer plans to make 20 or more employees redundant at a single establishment within a 90-day period, it must follow the statutory collective redundancy consultation procedures. A key part of this process is notifying the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS) in advance by submitting the statutory HR1 form. The required timing of this notification depends on the number of proposed redundancies.

Failing to submit the HR1 form is a criminal offence and can lead to prosecution and fines for both the company and its officers.

What’s Changing?

The Insolvency Service has introduced a new online version of the HR1 form, that must be used from 1 December. 

Currently, employers can complete the HR1 form either online via a digital service or by using a downloadable Word version. However, moving forward the online form will become the only submission method.

The new HR1 form is available through the Insolvency Service’s website, along with updated guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/advanced-notification-of-redundancies-hr1-form

Key updates to the form include:

• Integrated links to Companies House, the Charity Commission and the Mutuals Public Register to help ensure accurate information.
• A new redundancy category: “Change in supply chain/loss of supply chain contract.”
• The form will no longer accept future consultation start dates.

Although the legal obligations surrounding collective redundancy consultation remain unchanged, the digital-only process is more demanding. Employers affected by these changes should ensure they are familiar with the new requirements.

Practical points when completing the form

We all know that competing a HR1 can feel very stressful, and not something anyone wants to be doing. When we do it, we want it to go right first time, so here are some practical steps:

• The online form is divided into eight sections and typically takes around 40 minutes to complete.
• The system will not save progress until the form is fully submitted. If the page is closed or left inactive for more than 90 minutes, you will need to start again.
• To keep a copy of the completed form, you must save or print it as a PDF before submitting. The confirmation email only confirms receipt and does not include the form itself.

The shift to a digital-only submission process is intended to speed up submissions, reduce errors, and provide more accurate and timely information for ​job support and other local service providers. However, these changes may also signal a move towards more active scrutiny by the Insolvency Service of the information submitted on HR1 forms in the future. Watch this space!

If you’re facing redundancies—or want to ensure your business case and processes are watertight before you commence, ViewHR can help.

We support businesses through collective consultations, ensuring legal compliance while maintaining fairness and respect throughout. We can complete HR1 forms on your behalf, manage the entire process, or simply be on hand to answer questions when you need us. Contact our team at hr@viewhr.co.uk  for expert guidance.