Unfair Dismissal Compensation Calculator (2026)
If an employment tribunal finds you were unfairly dismissed, it usually awards a basic award worked out by formula and a compensatory award for the money you lost. Enter your details to see the basic award and a realistic range for the rest. It is an estimate: the tribunal decides on the facts.
How long you expect to be out of work, or on lower pay, after the dismissal. A tribunal expects you to look for work.
Possible award if you win
£15,512 to £28,512
a rough range, not a prediction · before tax and adjustments
Basic award
£9,012
Compensatory award
£6,500 to £19,500
Basic award: the redundancy pay formula (age bands, up to 20 years, weekly pay capped at £751) gives £9,012.
Compensatory award: lost take-home pay only, £6,500 to £19,500, capped at £46,800 (52 weeks’ gross pay, which is lower than the statutory maximum). Lost pension, benefits and other losses can be added.
What can change it: a tribunal can raise or cut the compensatory award by up to 25% if either side unreasonably failed to follow the Acas Code, reduce awards for your own conduct, reduce the compensatory award if you would have been dismissed anyway, and take account of pay from a new job or failure to look for work. Any cap is applied after these adjustments.
Can you claim? For a termination date before 1 January 2027, ordinary unfair dismissal normally needs 2 years’ service.
How Unfair Dismissal Awards Work
The basic award uses the same formula as statutory redundancy pay: half a week's pay for each complete year worked under age 22, one week for each year aged 22 to 40, and one and a half weeks for each year aged 41 or over, counting up to 20 years. A week's pay is capped at £751 in England, Scotland and Wales (£783 in Northern Ireland) for dismissals from 6 April 2026, so the most it can be is £22,530. Redundancy pay you have already received comes off it. Where the dismissal was for acting as a health and safety or employee representative, a working time or pension trustee role, or for trade union reasons, there is a minimum basic award of £9,157 (£9,512 in Northern Ireland).
The compensatory award is what the tribunal thinks is just and equitable for your loss: mainly lost earnings until you find new work, and lost benefits such as pension contributions. For a termination date before 1 January 2027 it is capped at the lower of £123,543 and 52 weeks' gross pay in England, Scotland and Wales, and at £123,785 in Northern Ireland. There is no cap for dismissals for whistleblowing or certain health and safety reasons, and redundancy pay above the basic award is deducted. The tribunal can increase or reduce it by up to 25% if the employer or employee unreasonably failed to follow the Acas Code of Practice, and can reduce awards for the employee's own conduct or if a fair dismissal would have happened anyway. The cap is applied after these adjustments.
Worked example. A 45-year-old with 10 complete years earning £900 a week gross (£650 take-home), dismissed on 15 October 2026: the basic award is 12 weeks at the £751 cap, £9,012. If they are out of work for 10 to 30 weeks, lost take-home pay is £6,500 to £19,500, well under the cap of 52 weeks' pay (£46,800). A possible total is about £15,500 to £28,500 before any adjustments.
What Changes in October 2026 and January 2027
In England, Scotland and Wales the Employment Rights Act 2025 makes two separate changes. From 1 October 2026 the time limit for most tribunal claims rises from three months to six months; for unfair dismissal this applies where the termination date is on or after 1 October 2026. For a termination date on or after 1 January 2027, the cap on the compensatory award is removed and the qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal falls from two years to six months. These changes do not apply in Northern Ireland.
Before You Claim
You must normally contact Acas for early conciliation before making a tribunal claim; it is free and pauses the time limit while it runs. Many claims settle, often through a settlement agreement. Free advice is available from Acas and Citizens Advice, and some trade unions and legal expenses insurance policies cover employment disputes. See our guides to unfair dismissal and tribunal time limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum unfair dismissal compensation in 2026?
For a termination date from 6 April 2026 to 31 December 2026 in England, Scotland or Wales: a basic award of up to £22,530 plus a compensatory award capped at the lower of £123,543 and 52 weeks’ gross pay (no cap for whistleblowing and certain health and safety dismissals). From 1 January 2027 the compensatory cap is removed in Great Britain. In Northern Ireland the compensatory cap is £123,785.
How long do I need to have worked to claim unfair dismissal?
In England, Scotland and Wales, normally 2 years for a termination date before 1 January 2027, and 6 months from that date. Some dismissals are automatically unfair and need no qualifying period. In Northern Ireland it is normally 1 year.
Is unfair dismissal compensation taxable?
Some parts can be. Tax treatment depends on what the payment is for, so check with HMRC guidance or an adviser before relying on a net figure.
Does this tool store or send my information anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere, and we do not refer anyone to claims firms or lawyers.
Checked on 26 September 2026 against the Employment Rights Act 1996 (sections 111, 118 to 124 and 227), the Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2026, the Northern Ireland limits order for 2026 and the Employment Rights Act 2025 with its commencement regulations. This is general information, not legal advice. RecordingLaw.com is not a claims management company and does not take or refer claims.
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