More Time to Bring an Employment Tribunal Claim – Changes from October 2026

From autumn 2026, individuals wishing to bring an Employment Tribunal claim will have more time to start proceedings. The primary time limit for bringing most claims will increase from three months to six months.

Statutory claims in England, Wales and Scotland

From 1 October 2026, a six-month time limit will apply to most statutory claims, including claims relating to:

• unfair dismissal;

• discrimination, harassment and victimisation under the Equality Act 2010;

• whistleblowing detriment and other statutory forms of detriment;

• unlawful deductions from wages;

• statutory holiday pay;

• remuneration payable during the statutory notice period under the Employment Rights Act 1996;

• rights under the Working Time Regulations 1998;

• TUPE and information and consultation obligations;

• the rights of part-time, fixed-term and agency workers.

The new time limit will apply only where the event giving rise to the claim occurs on or after 1 October 2026.

Where a claim concerns a series of events, the date of the last event will be relevant. Where the conduct extends over a period, the relevant date will be the end of that period.

If the event giving rise to the claim occurred before 1 October 2026, the existing three-month time limit will continue to apply.

Contractual claims in England and Wales

From 1 October 2026, the time limit for bringing contractual employment claims in the Employment Tribunal will also increase from three months to six months.

The change will apply where employment terminates on or after 1 October 2026.

Contractual claims may include:

• wrongful dismissal, including failure to pay for the applicable notice period;

• unpaid contractual salary;

• unpaid contractual bonuses or commission;

• unreimbursed business expenses;

• unpaid contractual allowances or other benefits;

• other breaches of the employment contract outstanding when employment ends.

Contractual claims can generally be brought in the Employment Tribunal only after employment has ended. The maximum amount that the Tribunal can award for such a claim will remain £25,000.

If employment ends before 1 October 2026, the existing three-month time limit will continue to apply.

Contractual claims in Scotland

In Scotland, the corresponding change for contractual claims will take effect later, on 9 November 2026.

This means that:

• if employment ends before 9 November 2026, the three-month time limit will apply;

• if employment ends on or after 9 November 2026, the time limit will be six months.

The later date applies only to contractual claims in Scotland. Most statutory claims in Scotland will become subject to the six-month time limit from 1 October 2026.

ACAS Early Conciliation

Before bringing most Employment Tribunal claims, the matter must first be notified to ACAS under the Early Conciliation procedure. This process may affect the final deadline for submitting an ET1.

An employer’s internal procedure—such as a grievance, disciplinary appeal or settlement negotiations—does not, by itself, stop the limitation period from running.

In every case, it is necessary to establish:

• the precise type of claim;

• the date of the relevant event, deduction or termination;

• whether the claim concerns a series of events or conduct extending over a period;

• the date on which ACAS Early Conciliation started and ended.

The new legislation will give workers more time to enforce their rights. However, it does not mean that every matter arising in 2026 will automatically benefit from a six-month time limit. The date of the event giving rise to the particular claim will be decisive.

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