Employment Tribunal Limits and Compensation Uplifts: What Changed in April 2026

April 2026 brought the familiar annual uprating of employment tribunal limits, but for both employers and employees, the changes are more than a technical footnote. In real terms, they increase the financial stakes of workplace disputes and everyday workforce decisions.

Injury to Feelings

The most visible change is to the Vento bands, which guide awards for injury to feelings in discrimination and whistleblowing cases. For claims presented on or after 6 April 2026, the:

• lower band now runs from £1,300 to £12,600;
• middle band from £12,600 to £37,700, and
• upper band from £37,700 to £62,900, with exceptional cases able to exceed that figure.

While the structure of the bands is unchanged, the uplift reflects inflation and reinforces that non‑financial harm remains a serious tribunal consideration.

Week’s pay

Alongside this, the statutory cap on a week’s pay has increased to £751. This single figure underpins several entitlements, including statutory redundancy pay and the basic award for unfair dismissal claims. For employers managing redundancies or exits, modest-looking increases can quickly compound across a workforce. For employees, it raises the floor of what the law recognises as recoverable loss.

Statutory Cap

The maximum compensatory award for unfair dismissal has also increased, now standing at £123,543, subject to the usual limit of 52 weeks’ actual pay if lower. Employers should note this against a wider backdrop of reform, with the compensation cap itself due to fall away in its entirety from January 2027.

For further information or to discuss a potential employment law or discrimination claim, please contact our specialist employment solicitors on 0207 3950 5234 or info@rllaw.co.uk. We are ranked as a ‘Leading Firm’ in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners independent guides to the UK Legal Profession.

30 April 2026