Redundancy in Northern Ireland

With 2 years' continuous service as an employee you get statutory redundancy pay, worked out from your age in each full year of service, counting back from your leaving date: half a week's pay for each year under 22, one week for each year aged 22 to 40, and one and a half weeks for each year aged 41 or over.

Only your last 20 years count, and weekly pay is capped at £783, so the most you can get is £23,490. Northern Ireland has no calculator of its own; the GOV.UK calculator shows the NI figure alongside the GB one.

• Statutory dismissal procedure: employers in Northern Ireland must follow a three-step procedure (a written statement, a meeting, and an appeal). If they don't, the dismissal is automatically unfair.
• Collective consultation: 20–99 redundancies at one establishment need at least 30 days' consultation; 100 or more need 90 days (in GB it is 45). If your employer fails to consult, the protective award is up to 90 days' pay.
• Suitable alternative job: you get a 4-week trial, and unreasonably refusing a suitable offer can cost you redundancy pay.
• Time off to look for work: with 2 years' service you can take reasonable paid time off during your notice.
• Maternity and family leave: you have priority for suitable vacancies while on maternity, adoption or shared parental leave. The longer 18-month protection that now applies in Great Britain does not apply in Northern Ireland.

Statutory notice is 1 week for 1 month to 2 years' service, then 1 week per full year, up to 12 weeks. Your contract may give more.

Tax works as in the rest of the UK: the first £30,000 of redundancy pay is tax-free with no employee National Insurance, while notice pay, holiday pay and final salary are taxed as normal earnings. You can claim a tax refund with form P50 after 4 weeks out of work if you aren't on a taxable benefit.

New Style JSA is the same as in GB: up to £95.55 a week at 25 or over (£75.65 under 25) for up to 182 days, based on your National Insurance record rather than savings. Claim it through nidirect.

Universal Credit counts redundancy pay as savings: over £16,000 you can't get it. Pay in lieu of notice and holiday pay can delay both benefits.

In Northern Ireland you can claim unfair dismissal after 1 year's service (2 years in GB). You must notify the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) for early conciliation before making a claim to an Industrial Tribunal.

The time limit for unfair dismissal is 3 months from your leaving date. Early conciliation pauses it for up to a month (plus 14 days if both sides agree). Claims for unpaid redundancy pay have 6 months. The GB change to 6-month limits does not apply here.

The NI Redundancy Payments Service can pay statutory redundancy pay, unpaid wages, holiday pay and statutory notice pay, each capped at £783 a week. Call 028 9025 7562.