[Updated 24/01/26]

In claims involving discrimination or whistle blowing or psychiatric injury, a claimant may request the Tribunal to award compensation under the Vento Bands in cases in which the claimant has been harmed by the acts or omissions of others. Such compensation may be awarded even if there are no other financial losses.

The Vento Bands set out three ranges and show the minimum and maximum award for each band as set out below. Bands may be revised from April each year. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

A Tribunal may make an award outside the band range in exceptional circumstances.

• Lower band = £1,200 – £12,100; (£1,100 – £11,200);
• Middle band = £12,100 – £36,400; (£11,700 – £35,200) – if the facts do not merit an award in the upper band);
• Upper band = £36,400 – £60,700; (£35,200 – £58,700)) – for the most serious cases.

In the most exceptional cases, an award may be made in excess of the Upper Band i.e. an award of more than £60,700.

A judge will take into consideration the effect on the Claimant as well as the actions or omissions of the employer.

Further Background

For more details of what types of acts or omissions fall within the Vento Bands see the original judgement from which the bands are derived in the case of De Souza v Vinci Construction (UK) Ltd [2017] EWCA Civ 879.

The name ‘Vento Bands’ is derived from the case of Vento v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police [2002] EWCA Civ 1871 which was decided by the Court of Appeal.

Note that in Scotland, the bands remain subject to paragraph 12 of the Presidential Guidance issued on 5 September 2017. As a result the bands of compensation were then raised in Scotland and presumably will be reviewed and increased at intervals in the future.