Employer Hasn't Paid You, or Paid You Late? (UK)
Updated 27 September 2026 · Sources listed below
Being paid late is not merely annoying. Acas says that, by law, employers must pay wages on the agreed pay day — and wages not paid when they were due can be claimed. The deadline for doing anything about it is shorter than many people expect.
The short answer
Acas says employers must, by law, pay wages on the agreed pay day. A shortfall you did not agree to in writing beforehand can be an unlawful deduction from wages under the Employment Rights Act 1996, and wages not paid when due can be claimed. The time limit for a tribunal claim runs from the date you should have been paid, or from the last in a series of deductions: three months less one day where it starts before 1 October 2026, and six months less one day where it starts on or after that date.
Contents
The tribunal clock, and why it catches people
The limit runs from the date you should have been paid: three months less one day where that is before 1 October 2026, six months less one day where it is on or after that date. Where there is a series of shortfalls it runs from the last one. People lose claims by waiting to see whether it gets sorted out — the clock does not pause while an employer promises to fix it.
The deadline
- Three months less one day from the date payment was due — six months less one day if that date is on or after 1 October 2026
- For a series of deductions, from the LAST one
- Early conciliation through Acas must normally be started before a claim; notifying Acas within the time limit pauses the time limit while conciliation runs
- For deductions, a tribunal usually cannot look back more than two years before the claim (Employment Rights Act 1996, section 23(4A))
- Chasing informally does not stop the clock
What counts as an unlawful deduction
Not every shortfall is one, and knowing the boundary keeps a good complaint from being dismissed. Deductions required by law, allowed by a written term of your contract that you were shown before the deduction, or agreed to by you in writing beforehand, are lawful. Almost everything else is not.
The boundary
- Lawful: tax, National Insurance, and anything you agreed to in writing IN ADVANCE
- Usually unlawful: a deduction for a till shortage, breakage or training cost with no prior written agreement
- Pay not made on the agreed pay day: Acas says the law requires wages to be paid on that day, and unpaid wages can be claimed
- Unpaid holiday pay and unpaid notice are separate claims worth checking too
Ask for the payslip as well
You have a right to an itemised pay statement showing gross pay, net pay, and each deduction. It is worth asking for it explicitly, because if deductions were made without being notified on a payslip, a tribunal can order the employer to repay those amounts for up to 13 weeks before the claim.
Put it in writing first, briefly
A short factual request naming the amount and the due date can resolve it quickly, particularly where it was a payroll error rather than a decision. It also creates the record you need if it was not an error.
Unpaid or late wages
Edit this template with your facts, dates, and requested outcome before sending.
Subject: Unpaid wages — [your name], pay date [date] Dear [Employer/Payroll], My wages for [period] were due to be paid on [date]. [I have not been paid / I was paid [amount] instead of [amount], a shortfall of [amount] / I was not paid until [date]]. I have not agreed in writing to any deduction from or delay to my wages. I am asking you to pay the outstanding amount of [amount] by [date], and to confirm in writing when payment will be made and what caused the shortfall. Kind regards, [Your Name]
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting to see if it gets fixed while the tribunal time limit runs
- Accepting a deduction you never agreed to in writing beforehand
- Not asking for the itemised payslip, which carries its own remedy
- Only raising it verbally, leaving no record of when you asked
- Overlooking unpaid holiday or notice pay, which are separate entitlements
- Assuming a promise to pay next month resets the deadline — it does not
Next steps
- 1Write down the date payment was due and the exact shortfall
- 2Check whether you ever agreed to any deduction in writing
- 3Write to payroll or HR asking for payment by a set date and an explanation
- 4Ask for the itemised payslip covering the period
- 5Note the tribunal deadline for your pay date and take advice well before it
Sources
- Acas: If wages are not paid
- Acas: Deductions from pay and wages
- Employment Rights Act 1996, section 23 (tribunal time limit)
- Employment Rights Act 1996, section 12 (unnotified deductions, 13 weeks)
- Acas: Employment tribunal time limits
Rules and deadlines change. Check the official source before relying on a date or amount.
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