What’s my employment tribunal deadline? (England and Wales)
Last verified: 4 October 2026 by LexSpeakAI Editorial. Sources: Employment Rights Act 1996, Equality Act 2010, Employment Rights Act 2025.
For unfair dismissal, discrimination and unpaid wages, the deadline is six months less one day if the key date is on or after 1 October 2026, and three months less one day if it is before. Equal pay is six months from your last day of employment. Contacting ACAS before the deadline pauses the clock.
Work out your deadline
Does this apply to you?
Three facts decide your deadline:
- What the claim is about. Each type of claim has its own starting date.
- The key date. For unfair dismissal it is the date your employment ended. For discrimination it is the date of the act, or the last act if it carried on. For unpaid wages it is the date the pay was due. For equal pay it is your last day of employment.
- Whether you have contacted ACAS. Early conciliation is required before almost any claim, and it moves the deadline later.
The date you make the claim does not decide which time limit applies.
What the law says
The Employment Rights Act 2025 lengthened most tribunal time limits from three months to six months on 1 October 2026 (S.I. 2026/954). Which limit applies depends on your key date, not on when you claim. What changed on 1 October 2026.
- Unfair dismissal: Employment Rights Act 1996, s.111(2), counted from the date your employment ended.
- Discrimination at work: Equality Act 2010, s.123(1)(a), counted from the act, or the end of conduct that carried on over a period.
- Unpaid wages and deductions: Employment Rights Act 1996, s.23(2), counted from the pay date, or the last deduction in a series.
- Equal pay: Equality Act 2010, s.129. Six months from your last day of employment. The 1 October 2026 change did not affect it.
Early conciliation extends each of these under Employment Rights Act 1996, s.207B and Equality Act 2010, s.140B. The days between contacting ACAS and receiving your certificate are added to the deadline. If that lands earlier than one month after the certificate date, the deadline is one month after the certificate date instead. Contacting ACAS after the deadline has passed gives no extension.
Key dates and deadlines
| Situation | Time limit | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Employment ended 22 June 2026 | Three months less one day | by 21 September 2026 |
| Employment ended 15 October 2026 | Six months less one day | by 14 April 2027 |
| Same, contacted ACAS 20 October 2026, certificate 1 December 2026 | Six months, plus 42 days paused | by 26 May 2027 |
| Discriminatory act on 20 June 2026 | Three months less one day | by 19 September 2026 |
| Wages due 15 October 2026 and not paid | Six months less one day | by 14 April 2027 |
| Equal pay, last day of employment 16 November 2026 | Six months less one day | by 15 May 2027 |
A claim can be made on the deadline day itself.
What people in this situation usually do next
Most people contact ACAS first, because a claim can’t be made without an early conciliation certificate. Some settle through ACAS. Others go on to present a claim on form ET1, which is free to issue. If you were dismissed and believe it was for whistleblowing, there is a separate seven-day deadline to ask the tribunal for interim relief, so that date usually comes first.
Lex can talk through your situation and what your options are, in plain English.
Common questions
Is the employment tribunal time limit three months or six months?
It depends on the date. For unfair dismissal, discrimination and unpaid wages, the limit is six months less one day where the key date is on or after 1 October 2026, and three months less one day where it is before then. The key date is the date employment ended for unfair dismissal, the date of the act for discrimination, and the pay date for wages. The date you make the claim does not decide it.
Does contacting ACAS extend the tribunal deadline?
Yes, if you contact ACAS before the deadline passes. The days between contacting ACAS and receiving your certificate are added to the deadline. If that date falls earlier than one month after you received the certificate, the deadline becomes one month after the certificate date. Contacting ACAS after the deadline has passed gives no extension.
Can I make my claim on the deadline day itself?
Yes. The claim can be presented on the deadline date. A deadline of 14 April 2027 means the claim must arrive by 14 April 2027.
What is the time limit for an equal pay claim?
Six months beginning with the last day of the employment, so six months less one day. The 1 October 2026 change did not affect equal pay. While you are still employed in the job, the six months has not started.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
For unfair dismissal and unpaid wages, a tribunal can allow a late claim only if it was not reasonably practicable to claim in time. For discrimination, it can allow a late claim if it thinks that is just and equitable. For equal pay there is no general power to allow a late claim. In every case it is the tribunal’s decision, not an entitlement.
Legal information for England and Wales, not legal advice. LexSpeakAI® is not a law firm. The calculator works only from the dates you enter and does not cover every type of claim.