# Can I still get my regular wages while my unfair dismissal case is being sorted out in the UK? - Jurisdiction: United Kingdom - Practice area: Employment Law - Published: 2026-10-26 - Last updated: 2026-10-26 - Canonical: https://lawasked.com/uk/employment-law/can-i-still-get-my-regular-wages-while ## Question I am writing because I am feeling quite stressed about my finances here in England. I worked as a senior administrator for a local firm for over five years, earning a monthly salary of £2,800. On the 15th of last month, my manager suddenly sacked me without any proper warning or reason, claiming they were restructuring the department. I believe this was an unfair dismissal. I have already contacted ACAS to start the early conciliation process, but it is taking a long time to get a hearing date. Since I was let go, I have had no income at all, and I am worried about how I will pay my rent and utility bills over the next few months. If I eventually win my case at a tribunal, is there a way for the court to make my old employer pay me the wages I would have earned during this waiting period? I want to know if I can receive my normal monthly pay, including my pension contributions and seniority benefits, as if I had never been dismissed, while the legal dispute is still ongoing. ## Summary Yes, if you win your unfair dismissal case, a tribunal can order your employer to pay you the wages you missed out on while the case was being sorted out. This includes your regular pay, pension rights, and seniority benefits. ## Analysis If your claim against your local firm is successful, you may be able to receive the money you lost between your dismissal on the 15th of last month and the final decision of the case. Under the law, a tribunal has the power to issue an "order for the continuation of a contract of employment" [1]. This means the court can treat your employment as if it had never ended for specific purposes. Specifically, the law states that an order can be made "for the purposes of pay or any other benefit derived from the employment, seniority, pension rights and other similar matters" [1]. This means you can seek to recover your £2,800 monthly salary, as well as your pension contributions and your seniority status [1]. When the tribunal makes this order, they will "specify in the order the amount which is to be paid by the employer to the employee by way of pay in respect of each normal pay period" [1]. This amount is calculated based on what you "could reasonably have been expected to earn during that period" [1]. In addition to these specific payments for lost wages, an unfair dismissal award generally consists of two parts: a "basic award" and a "compensatory award" [2]. The compensatory award is designed to cover your actual financial losses. It is important to note that the tribunal does not automatically grant this money while you are waiting for a hearing. You only receive these payments if you win your case. Furthermore, if you receive any other lump sum payments that are meant to replace your wages, the tribunal will take those into account when deciding how much your employer owes you [1]. ## Statutory citations - Employment Rights Act 1996, Section 130 - Order for continuation of contract of employment. [in force] (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/18/section/130) > An order under section 129 for the continuation of a contract of employment is an order that the contract of employment continue in force— a for the purposes of pay or any other benefit derived from the employment, seniority, pension rights and other similar matters... - Employment Rights Act 1996, Section 118 - General. [in force] (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/18/section/118) > Where a tribunal makes an award of compensation for unfair dismissal... the award shall consist of— a a basic award... and b a compensatory award --- General information only, not legal advice. See https://lawasked.com/disclaimer