To cancel your GMB membership, send written notice to your GMB regional office at least 14 days before your next payment date, then cancel the payment method separately. GMB does not offer a one-click online cancellation. The union’s own rulebook requires a written request, and UK law guarantees your right to leave, so a properly submitted resignation cannot be refused.
Send Written Notice to Your Regional Office
Rule 41, Clause 5 of the GMB Rulebook requires members who want to cancel to write to their regional office giving at least 14 days’ notice. GMB will then contact you to confirm your identity under data protection rules before finalising the cancellation.1GMB Union. GMB Rulebook 2025
GMB is organised into regional offices across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and your notice has to go to the right one. Every regional office is listed with its postal address and phone number on the GMB website.2GMB Union. GMB Regions If you joined through your workplace, your region is usually decided by where you work rather than where you live. Check your original welcome email or a recent piece of GMB correspondence for the regional name. If you cannot tell, call any listed office and ask them to point you to the correct one.
What to Put in the Letter or Email
The cancellation itself does not need to be long. It needs enough detail for GMB to find your account and act without chasing you for more information.
- Your full name as it appears on your membership records.
- Your membership number. This is a six-digit number usually ending with the letter “P” (for example, 123456P). You can find it in previous emails or text messages from GMB, or ask your workplace representative.3GMB. What Is My Membership Number
- Your workplace and employer name, which helps GMB match your record if the membership number is missing or wrong.
- A clear statement of intent, such as “I wish to cancel my GMB membership effective immediately, subject to the 14-day notice period.”
- The date, which sets the 14-day clock running.
You do not have to give a reason for leaving, though you may be asked for one. A brief factual answer is fine. Keep a copy of whatever you send.
How to Send It
GMB’s official guidance directs members to submit cancellation requests in writing to the regional office postal address.4GMB. How Do I Cancel My Membership If you post a letter, use recorded or tracked delivery. It costs a few pounds and removes any argument about whether the notice arrived.
Email is worth trying too. The legal requirement is written notice delivered to an office, and an email creates a timestamped record. If your regional office publishes an email address, send it there and follow up by phone a few days later to confirm receipt.2GMB Union. GMB Regions
Time It Against Your Next Payment
GMB bills monthly, so the 14-day window decides whether you pay for another month. If your next payment falls on the 1st, your notice needs to reach the regional office by roughly the 17th of the previous month to avoid one more charge. Submitting later than that does not block the cancellation. It usually just means one additional month of dues.
Stop the Payments Separately
Sending the notice to GMB is one step. Making sure the money actually stops leaving your account is another, and how you do it depends on how you pay.
If You Pay by Direct Debit
You can cancel a direct debit at any time by contacting your bank, usually through your banking app or the customer service line. Under the Direct Debit Guarantee, the bank must act on your instruction.5Direct Debit. Your Rights and Safeguards Cancel the direct debit after you have sent written notice to GMB, not instead of it. Stopping the payment on its own does not end your membership, and GMB could treat you as a lapsed member with unpaid arrears rather than someone who has properly resigned.
If You Pay Through Payroll (Check-Off)
Many GMB members have dues taken directly from their wages. If that is you, tell both GMB and your employer’s payroll or HR department. The check-off arrangement typically needs one month’s written notice to the employer before deductions stop. Put the request to your employer in writing and keep a copy.
Check That the Cancellation Went Through
You should get confirmation from GMB once your resignation is processed. If nothing arrives within a few weeks, call the regional office and ask for a status update. Then check your bank statement or payslip to make sure no further deductions come out after the notice period ends.
If a payment is taken after your cancellation should have been effective and you had already cancelled the direct debit, the Direct Debit Guarantee entitles you to a full and immediate refund from your bank for any incorrect payment.5Direct Debit. Your Rights and Safeguards If payroll deductions continue after you have notified your employer, raise it with HR in writing and ask for the overpayment to be returned in your next pay packet.
Before You Send the Notice, Consider What You Lose
Cancelling ends every benefit tied to membership. The one that matters most for many members is legal representation. If you are in the middle of a workplace dispute, a grievance, or an employment tribunal claim, GMB will generally stop supporting your case once your membership ends. Think about timing before you send the notice.
Other benefits tied to membership include accident and injury cover, the GMB funeral benefit (which requires at least five years of continuous membership to qualify), and various member discount schemes.1GMB Union. GMB Rulebook 2025 Resigning resets the clock on continuous membership. If you rejoin later, qualifying periods start again from zero.