statutoryredundancypay.co.uk
Does this apply to you?ScotlandNorthern IrelandEnhanced top-upAfter taxNotice payHoliday payHistoric yearVoluntary offerAt-risk letter30-day consultationAm I eligible?
Rule · ERA 1996 s.164

The 6-month claim window

If your employer refuses to pay statutory redundancy you have 6 months from the date of termination to claim. Bring an unfair dismissal claim in parallel within 3 months.
Time-bound
Statutory redundancy pay claim: 6 months from the relevant date. Unfair dismissal claim: 3 months less one day. ACAS Early Conciliation must be notified BEFORE you issue the ET claim and pauses the clock.

When the clock starts

For statutory redundancy, the clock starts on the "relevant date", which is normally your last day of employment (or the day notice expires). The 6-month rule is in ERA 1996 s.164. The tribunal has a discretion to extend by a further 6 months if it would be just and equitable; this is not generous in practice.

The 3-month unfair dismissal clock

Unfair dismissal under ERA 1996 s.98 has a much tighter 3-month-less-one-day window. If you want to argue the redundancy was a sham, or that the selection was unfair, you must claim unfair dismissal in time. Missing the 3-month window kills the unfair dismissal claim regardless of how strong the merits are.

ACAS Early Conciliation

You must notify ACAS of your intent to claim before issuing tribunal proceedings (ACAS EC). The clock is paused for the EC period, then restarts with a minimum of one month to issue. Filing the ET1 is done online at gov.uk employment tribunals.

Read next
At-risk letter receivedUnfair selectionCollective consultationSettlement agreementsFAQ
Reviewed by Oliver Wakefield-Smith, Founder of Digital Signet. Last verified 23 June 2026. Inline citations link to primary statute at legislation.gov.uk.