Employment Tribunal Fee Estimator UK 2025 — Award Estimates, Costs & Timescales
Employment Tribunals are free to use — fees were abolished in 2017 — but understanding what awards are available, how they are calculated, and how long the process takes is essential before you decide to bring a claim. Our estimator covers unfair dismissal basic and compensatory awards, discrimination injury to feelings (Vento bands), wrongful dismissal, and unpaid wages claims.
2024/25 statutory caps: Basic Award max £19,290 (30 weeks × £643). Compensatory Award capped at lower of 52 weeks' pay or £115,115 (except whistleblowing/discrimination — uncapped). Injury to feelings Vento bands updated 2024. This is an estimate only — actual awards vary significantly by case.
Employment Tribunal Fees — What You Need to Know
Since the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in R (Unison) v Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC 51, there are no fees to bring an Employment Tribunal claim. The court found the fee scheme introduced in 2013 (which charged up to £1,200 for certain claims) unlawfully impeded access to justice. Claimants were refunded fees paid between July 2013 and July 2017.
There is also no fee to attend a preliminary or final hearing. The only compulsory step before submitting an ET1 claim form is to notify ACAS and attempt early conciliation.
ACAS Early Conciliation — Mandatory First Step
Before submitting any Employment Tribunal claim, you must contact ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) for early conciliation. This is a free, voluntary, and confidential process. ACAS will contact your employer to explore whether a settlement is possible. Key points:
- You must start the early conciliation process before the 3-month time limit expires
- The clock stops running while ACAS early conciliation is ongoing, then a new time period of at least 1 month starts after the certificate is issued
- If settlement is not reached, ACAS issues an Early Conciliation Certificate (ACAS number), which you must include on your ET1 form
- Settlements reached via ACAS are recorded on form COT3 and are legally binding — they settle your claims completely
- Early conciliation lasts up to 6 weeks (or longer by mutual agreement)
Time Limits — Critical Deadlines
| Claim Type | Time Limit (from last act) |
|---|---|
| Unfair dismissal | 3 months minus 1 day from effective date of termination |
| Discrimination | 3 months minus 1 day from act of discrimination (or last in a series) |
| Wrongful dismissal | 3 months minus 1 day (tribunal) or 6 years (county court) |
| Unlawful wages deduction | 3 months minus 1 day from deduction |
| Whistleblowing detriment | 3 months minus 1 day from detriment act |
| TUPE failure to inform & consult | 3 months minus 1 day from transfer date |
| Equal pay | 6 months minus 1 day from end of employment |
| Redundancy pay (statutory) | 6 months from effective date of termination |
Unfair Dismissal Awards Explained
An unfair dismissal award has two components, both potentially subject to reductions for contributory fault:
Basic Award
Calculated in exactly the same way as statutory redundancy pay — using your age, years of service (max 20), and weekly gross pay (capped at £643 in 2024/25). The maximum basic award is therefore £19,290 (30 weeks × £643). It can be reduced for contributory fault, or if the claimant unreasonably refused an offer of reinstatement.
Compensatory Award
Compensates for actual financial loss — past and future loss of earnings, loss of benefits, loss of pension rights, and expenses incurred finding new work. It is capped at the lower of 52 weeks' gross pay or £115,115 (2024/25). The cap does not apply to whistleblowing dismissals or discrimination claims.
Deductions are made for: contributory fault; Polkey reductions (where tribunal finds the employee would have been fairly dismissed anyway after a proper procedure, reducing compensation by that percentage likelihood); failure to mitigate (if the employee did not take reasonable steps to find new work); and any pay received during the loss period.
Discrimination Awards — Injury to Feelings (Vento Bands)
In discrimination claims under the Equality Act 2010, claimants can be awarded compensation for injury to feelings — the distress caused by the discriminatory act. There is no statutory cap on discrimination awards. The Vento v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police bands (updated periodically by Presidential Guidance) provide the framework:
| Vento Band | 2024/25 Range | Typical Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Band | £1,100 – £11,200 | Isolated or less serious acts; one-off comments; limited impact |
| Middle Band | £11,200 – £33,700 | Serious cases not meriting the top band; ongoing discrimination; significant impact on claimant |
| Upper Band | £33,700 – £56,200 | Most serious cases; sustained campaigns of harassment; long-term impact on health; egregious conduct |
Additional aggravated damages may be awarded where the discriminator behaved in a high-handed, malicious, insulting, or oppressive manner. Personal injury psychiatric harm awards can be made on top of injury to feelings where medical evidence supports a recognised psychiatric condition.
The ACAS Code Uplift and Reduction
Where an employer has unreasonably failed to follow the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures, the tribunal may increase any financial award by up to 25%. Similarly, if the claimant unreasonably failed to follow the Code (e.g., did not use the grievance procedure before resigning), the award may be reduced by up to 25%.
Costs in Employment Tribunals
Unlike civil courts, Employment Tribunals do not routinely award costs to the winning party. Costs orders are exceptional and are only made where a party (or their representative) has acted vexatiously, abusively, disruptively, or otherwise unreasonably in bringing or conducting the case. Costs orders can be up to £20,000 without detailed assessment, or any amount with a detailed assessment. Preparation time orders (£42/hour for unrepresented parties in 2024/25) are also available.
The risk of a costs order against a claimant is low in straightforward cases brought in good faith, but increases if a claimant brings claims with no reasonable prospect of success, refuses to accept Calderbank offers, or behaves unreasonably in proceedings.