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Redundancy, settlement, final pay or unfair dismissal?

Start here if you are leaving a job and need the first useful page quickly. Use it when final pay, notice, holiday, redundancy, settlement or the dismissal itself may overlap, especially if one payslip, offer or letter is mixing several issues together.

Start in 10 seconds Fastest first page by question Use the document you already have Final pay calculator Start with final pay Start with unfair dismissal
Official source-backed routes
The linked tools and help pages show the official source basis for the route you choose
Mixed-package friendly
Helps you split notice, holiday, wages, redundancy and settlement items
Clear first page
Every route points to the best first WorkRightsUK page, with final pay used as the first bridge when one payslip, leaving-payment total or payroll-style line is making the situation harder to read
Document-first triage
If you only have one payslip, letter or agreement, this page tells you which route to open first from that document
Checked on

29 March 2026

Official source links

Linked calculator and help pages backed by official sources

Recheck when

Your issue involves more than one payment type or the written labels are unclear

Start here in 10 seconds

Pick the first page by the immediate problem, not the package headline

1. Which line would you challenge first?

Choose the first payment line, document or dispute you need to test before anything else.

2. Open one page only

Do not compare the whole package until you have separated payroll-style lines from compensation-style lines.

3. Use final pay as the bridge if mixed

Final pay is usually the fastest first bridge when payroll-style items are bundled into one payslip, offer or letter.

Best first click for mixed payslip issues My last payslip, final payment, notice, holiday or deductions look wrong

Start with final pay first when the payroll-style lines are the immediate problem, even if redundancy or settlement is also part of the wider situation. It is usually the quickest way to separate what belongs on the payslip from what belongs in the wider package.

Start with final pay calculator

Use this when the legal minimum comes first I am being made redundant and need the statutory floor first

Start with redundancy when the first question is the legal minimum due for redundancy before you compare the wider offer.

Start with redundancy

Use this when the offer is agreed on paper I have a settlement offer and need to split payroll-style pay from compensation-style pay

Start with settlement when the written package is the main issue and you need to understand why the headline total may hide a very different take-home result once the payment categories are split out.

Start with settlement

Use this when the dismissal itself is disputed I think the dismissal itself may have been unfair

Start with unfair dismissal when the key document is the dismissal letter, appeal outcome or process paperwork and the real question is whether the dismissal itself was fair, not just how the package lines are labelled. If the payslip or exit-payment lines are the immediate problem, use final pay first.

Start with unfair dismissal

Fastest first page by question

If one question feels most urgent, start there first

The payment lines do not add up

Use final pay first when the immediate problem is the payslip, holiday, notice, PILON, wages, deductions or a payroll-style leaving payment.

Open final pay calculator first

The redundancy line itself looks wrong

Use redundancy first when the real question is the statutory minimum or whether the employer has labelled the redundancy part clearly.

Open redundancy first

The settlement headline looks generous but unclear

Use settlement first when the agreement total may be hiding payroll-style pay, compensation-style sums or unclear written labels.

Open settlement first

The dismissal itself is the real dispute

Use unfair dismissal first when the main argument is the reason, process, consultation or appeal outcome rather than just the payment lines. Use final pay first if the immediate problem is still the payslip or payroll breakdown.

Open unfair dismissal first

Do not do all the pages at once.

Choose the first page that matches the immediate question, then come back for the next route after the package is split into clear lines.

If you only have one document

Use the first document you already have to choose the first page

Last payslip or payroll breakdown

Start with final pay first if the document mainly shows notice, holiday, wages, bonus, deductions or PILON, even if redundancy or settlement wording appears elsewhere around it.

Open final pay calculator first

Settlement agreement or draft settlement offer

Start with settlement first if the document is mainly about agreed exit terms, tax labels and compensation-style wording rather than the last payslip itself.

Open settlement first

Redundancy letter or redundancy calculation

Start with redundancy first if the immediate question is the legal minimum redundancy figure rather than the whole package or the final payroll run.

Open redundancy first

Dismissal letter or process feels wrong

Start with unfair dismissal first if the real dispute is the dismissal reason, process or potential compensation, especially where the main paperwork is a dismissal letter or appeal outcome rather than a payslip or settlement offer.

If a single payslip line is your urgent problem, use final pay first and come back here after that.

Open unfair dismissal first

If more than one is true

Use this order when more than one route seems to fit

  1. Start with the route that answers the immediate question, not the whole package headline.
  2. Use final pay next if notice, holiday, wages, deductions or PILON appear anywhere in the package or on the last payslip.
  3. Use redundancy or settlement after that once the package lines are separated clearly on paper.
  4. Use the separate notice or holiday tools only when one line needs a closer calculation after that.
  5. Use unfair dismissal when the dispute is really about the dismissal itself, not only the payment labels.
Best first page by situation

Common mixed situations and the best first page to open

  • Redundancy + notice + holiday: start with redundancy, then use the final pay calculator to check the payroll lines.
  • Settlement offer + PILON + holiday pay: start with settlement to split the headline total, then use the final pay calculator for the payroll-style lines.
  • Dismissal letter or appeal outcome is the real problem: start with unfair dismissal before you focus only on the payment lines or headline total, and keep the dismissal and appeal paperwork together.
  • Last payslip looks wrong: start with the final pay calculator even if redundancy, settlement or unfair dismissal is also involved.
If the package is mixed, do not compare the headline total until the lines are separated

Split payroll-style lines such as wages, notice, holiday, bonus, deductions and PILON before you decide whether the wider package is generous, lawful or clearly explained. That is why final pay is often the right first bridge page before you move into redundancy, settlement or dismissal-fairness questions. Once the payroll-style lines are clear, it becomes much easier to judge whether the redundancy line is low, the settlement labels are unclear, or the dismissal route matters more.

Question
Redundancy pay
Settlement package
Final pay
What is it?
Statutory or contractual payment when someone is made redundant.
A package used to settle claims or end employment on agreed terms.
The last pay due when employment ends, which can include several elements.
Typical elements
Statutory redundancy pay and sometimes enhanced contractual redundancy pay.
Compensation-style sums, PILON, holiday pay, wages, bonus and sometimes redundancy amounts.
Notice pay, holiday owed, unpaid wages, deductions, bonus and sometimes PILON.
Best next page
Redundancy Pay Calculator
Settlement Agreement Tax Checker
Final Pay Calculator
Fast route for leaving work

A simple order that works for many users

1. Choose the main question first

Start with redundancy, settlement, final pay or unfair dismissal based on what you need to solve first.

2. Split payroll items next if the package is mixed

Use the final-pay page if notice, holiday, wages or PILON are part of the same package.

Open final pay calculator

3. Use the narrower tools only when one line needs more detail

Use notice, holiday or unfair-dismissal tools when one part of the problem needs a closer check.

Notice calculator · Holiday calculator · Unfair-dismissal estimator

After the first click

Typical next-page order after you triage

  • Redundancy first: then use the final pay calculator if notice, holiday or wages are also wrapped into the package.
  • Settlement first: then use the final pay calculator if the payroll-style lines still need checking.
  • Final pay first: then use redundancy, settlement or unfair dismissal once the package is split into clear lines.
  • Unfair dismissal first: then use the pay pages separately if the dispute also includes notice, holiday, redundancy or settlement lines.
Related help

Useful follow-up pages after triage