How to claim unpaid wages in the UK

Short answer: how to claim unpaid wages in the UK

Start by asking your employer in writing for the exact amount, with dates and the payslips or records that show it. If that fails, the main legal route in England, Wales and Scotland is an employment tribunal claim for an unlawful deduction from wages under the Employment Rights Act 1996. Not being paid at all counts as a deduction. Before you can file, you must notify Acas for early conciliation.

Other routes exist for particular situations: a breach-of-contract claim (in the tribunal after employment has ended, or in the civil courts), a county court money claim, a minimum-wage complaint to HMRC, and, if the business is insolvent, a claim to the government's Redundancy Payments Service. The time limits are short, so note the date each payment was due before you do anything else.

Step 1: work out what you are owed and gather evidence

List each missing payment separately: wages for hours worked, overtime, commission or bonus that your contract says you have earned, holiday pay, notice pay and any deduction you did not agree to. For each item write the pay date, the gross amount and how you calculated it.

Keep your contract or written statement of terms, offer letter, payslips, rotas or timesheets, bank statements and any messages about the pay. You have a right to an itemised payslip at or before each payday (Employment Rights Act 1996, s.8), so a missing payslip is itself something to raise. If you have left and lost access to records, ask for copies; you can also make a subject access request for your personal data.

Step 2: ask your employer in writing

GOV.UK advises speaking to your employer first to try to sort it out informally. Put the request in writing so there is a dated record: state what is unpaid, the amounts and pay dates, how you calculated them, and a reasonable date for payment. If you are still employed, you can raise a formal grievance under the employer's procedure; following the Acas Code of Practice on grievances matters, because a tribunal can adjust an award if either side unreasonably fails to follow it.

Do not wait for HR to finish its process before checking your deadline. An internal grievance or appeal does not stop the tribunal time limit.

Step 3: Acas early conciliation and the tribunal deadline

Most tribunal claims need an early conciliation certificate from Acas first. Notifying Acas within your time limit pauses the clock while conciliation runs, and a conciliator may help you reach a settlement without a hearing.

The time limit for an unlawful-deductions claim changed on 1 October 2026. Under section 23 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, as amended by the Employment Rights Act 2025, you now have 6 months (in practice, 6 months minus one day) from the date of the payment the deduction was taken from, where that date is on or after 1 October 2026. For a deduction before 1 October 2026, the old limit of 3 months minus one day still applies. If there was a series of deductions, time runs from the last one in the series.

There is also a two-year backstop: a tribunal will generally not award deductions from wages paid more than two years before you submit the claim, although some payments, such as certain statutory payments, are outside that limit.

Step 4: choose the right route

Unlawful deduction (employment tribunal): for wages, holiday pay, overtime, commission and similar sums that were properly payable but not paid in full. You can bring it while still employed, and there is no upper limit on the amount.

Breach of contract (employment tribunal): for contractual money such as notice pay or an expense refund, but only once your employment has ended and the claim is outstanding on termination. Tribunal awards for breach of contract are capped at £25,000; larger claims belong in the civil courts.

County court money claim (England and Wales): an alternative for contractual debts, including amounts over £25,000. Claims up to £10,000 usually go to the small claims track. You generally have six years to sue for a breach of contract, but court fees apply. Scotland uses its own simple procedure in the sheriff court.

Minimum wage: if you were paid below the National Minimum Wage, you can complain to HMRC, which can order arrears and penalties. This sits alongside, not instead of, your own claim.

If your employer is insolvent or has closed

If the business is in administration, liquidation or another formal insolvency, a tribunal award may never be paid. Instead, you can usually claim certain debts from the government through the Redundancy Payments Service: up to 8 weeks of unpaid wages (including overtime, commission and bonuses in your contract), up to 6 weeks of holiday pay, statutory notice pay and statutory redundancy pay. Each week is capped at £751 if you were made redundant on or after 6 April 2026 (£719 before that date). Anything above the caps becomes a claim against the insolvent business.

A business simply closing its doors is not always a formal insolvency. Our guide on an insolvent employer explains how to tell the difference and what to ask the insolvency practitioner.

Worked example: two missed payments around 1 October 2026

Hypothetical: you were underpaid £180 of overtime on 30 September 2026 and £240 on 31 October 2026, and you have not notified Acas yet. Treat them separately unless they form a series. For the 30 September payment, the old rule gives a deadline of 29 December 2026. For the 31 October payment, the new rule gives 30 April 2027. If the two shortfalls are part of a series of deductions, time runs from the last one, but do not rely on that without advice; protect the earliest date by notifying Acas before 29 December 2026.

Template: a written request for unpaid wages

“I have not been paid [amount] for [hours/overtime/holiday pay] due on [pay date]. My calculation is [hours × rate] and is supported by [payslip/rota/messages], attached. Please pay this amount by [date] and send a corrected payslip. If it is not resolved, I will consider contacting Acas about early conciliation.” Keep it factual, send it to an address you can prove, and save the reply.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I claim unpaid wages in the UK?

Ask your employer in writing first. If that fails, notify Acas for early conciliation and, if needed, make an employment tribunal claim for unlawful deduction from wages. For contract debts after you leave, a breach-of-contract claim or a county court money claim may fit better.

How long do I have to claim unpaid wages?

For a tribunal unlawful-deductions claim, 6 months minus one day from the payment date if that date is on or after 1 October 2026, or 3 months minus one day for earlier payments. Notifying Acas in time pauses the clock. A county court contract claim generally has six years in England and Wales.

Can I claim unpaid wages if I still work there?

Yes. An unlawful-deductions claim can be brought while you are still employed. A breach-of-contract claim in the tribunal, by contrast, is only available once employment has ended.

What if my employer has gone bust?

If it is formally insolvent, apply to the Redundancy Payments Service for up to 8 weeks of arrears, up to 6 weeks of holiday pay, statutory notice pay and redundancy pay, each capped at £751 a week for redundancies on or after 6 April 2026.

Is there a limit on how far back I can claim?

In the tribunal, an unlawful-deductions claim generally cannot go back more than two years before the date you submit it. Each deadline still runs from the payment date, so act quickly.

Does a grievance stop the deadline?

No. Internal grievances and appeals do not pause the tribunal time limit. Only a timely Acas early conciliation notification does.

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