From 1 October 2026, the time limit for bringing an employment tribunal claim will increase to six months for all claims, including unfair dismissal and discrimination claims.
As it stands, most employment tribunal claims in England, Wales and Scotland need to be brought within three months of the act complained. This includes claims for dismissal, discrimination and unlawful deduction from wages.
A small number of claims currently have a six-month time limit, such as claims for equal pay or a statutory redundancy payment.
This is set to change from 1 October 2026.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 extends the time limit to six months for all employment tribunal claims.
Although the Act originally omitted some types of claims, including breach of contract claims, the government has extended the time limits for those claims through separate regulations.
Generally, the new time limit will apply where the relevant date falls on or after 1 October 2026. For breach of contract claims in Scotland, the change will come into force on 9 November 2026.
The “relevant date” will usually be the act or failure to act complained about, or the last in a series of acts or failures.
Example
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