If an Employment Tribunal pauses an unpaid-wage claim because the respondent company has been dissolved, separate three things before deciding what to do: the tribunal’s written direction, the company’s exact Companies House status, and whether there is a formal insolvency process. A court order to restore a dissolved company may be one route for someone who worked for it, but an order does not itself pay wages or guarantee that the business has assets.

This guide is for England and Wales company restoration and UK employment records, with court procedure scoped to England and Wales. It does not determine the correct next step in a live tribunal case. Read the actual tribunal letter and deadline first. The GOV.UK company-restoration guide says a person who worked for a dissolved company or was owed money may be able to apply for a court order restoring it. Separately, the Insolvency Service guidance for employees of insolvent employers describes government claims for certain payments when an employer is in an insolvency process. Those routes are not interchangeable.

Start with the letter from the tribunal

Find the most recent tribunal order, notice or letter and read every date and instruction. Record the case number, the named respondent, the date the tribunal sent the letter, what it says about the claim being paused, and any deadline to provide an update or restoration order. Keep the envelope or electronic delivery record if available. If the language is unclear, contact the tribunal using the details on the official correspondence and ask what it requires you to do next.

Ask focused procedural questions rather than assuming the case is over or automatically on hold forever:

  • Is the claim stayed, postponed, or subject to a deadline to restore the company?
  • What specific document or evidence should be sent to the tribunal?
  • By what date must it be provided?
  • Does the tribunal require the company to be restored before the claim can proceed?
  • If the restoration application is pending, should the tribunal be updated and how?
  • Does any existing order require a response before you apply elsewhere?

Save the answer and identify the person or office that provided it. Do not withdraw the claim, miss a deadline or file a new claim because an informal online comment says there is no point. Limitation periods and procedural options depend on the claim and history. If a deadline is near, seek prompt advice from an employment adviser or solicitor.

Use the official Companies House company search to locate the exact company name and company number on your contract, payslips, tribunal claim and correspondence. A restaurant, shop or other trading name may differ from the legal entity named as employer. Save the current company overview and filing history showing its registered status and any dissolution date. Check that the tribunal respondent matches the company number, not merely a similar business name.

“Dissolved,” “in liquidation,” “in administration” and “not trading” describe different situations. Do not treat a business closure or a message saying it has gone bankrupt as proof of a specific formal process. If Companies House shows a dissolved company, note whether the dissolution followed a strike-off or formal insolvency. If an insolvency practitioner or official receiver is involved, record their name and case reference. If you cannot tell from the register, ask the relevant office to identify the process before choosing a route.

This distinction matters because the Insolvency Service’s employee-payment route is not simply a general unpaid-wage fund for every closed employer. The government’s guidance describes specified payments for eligible employees where the employer is insolvent. The route requires an insolvency case reference, and claims for redundancy, unpaid wages and holiday are generally due within six months of dismissal. Eligibility also depends on employment status and other conditions. A company’s name disappearing from the register does not, by itself, provide the reference or prove eligibility.

Check the insolvency payment route if there is a case number

If an insolvency practitioner or official receiver is handling the company, ask whether you were recorded as an employee and request the case reference, commonly called a CN number. The government’s application page lists a CN number, National Insurance number, employment dates, pay details, amounts owed, holiday information and correspondence as information the applicant may need. Preserve the tribunal claim and evidence because the application can ask for letters sent to or received from the tribunal.

The official apply-for-money page separates arrears of pay, holiday pay, redundancy pay and statutory notice pay. It says you cannot apply without the CN number, and the statutory notice claim has a later step and its own LN reference. It also says an eligible worker generally needs to apply for redundancy, unpaid wages and holiday within six months of dismissal. Verify the current conditions and dates on the service itself. Do not use a tribunal claim as proof that the Insolvency Service has approved a payment.

If no insolvency practitioner or CN number exists, ask the tribunal and a qualified adviser whether there is another route. The employer could be dissolved without a current insolvency process, or the record could show a different entity. In that situation, a restoration application may be relevant, but it requires its own evidence and court process.

Understand the court restoration route

For a company registered in England or Wales, GOV.UK describes applying to court using a Part 8 claim form, N208, and supporting evidence. Its public page says a person who worked for the company or was owed money when it was dissolved may be able to apply. The page currently lists a £326 court fee and says the application includes a witness statement. The exact filing court, evidence and additional costs should be checked against the current official guidance and the facts of the company’s dissolution.

Do not assume you qualify for administrative restoration just because you are a former employee. The government’s separate administrative process is generally for a director or shareholder who meets the listed conditions. A worker owed wages may instead need to consider the court-order route. The court may ask for additional information or costs, particularly if company assets became ownerless property. Get advice about the procedure before filing if the company’s history or ownership is complicated.

If the fee is a barrier, check the official Help with Fees service for current eligibility and whether the particular fee is covered. Do not assume that being a student or having low current income guarantees remission. The application asks about financial circumstances and savings; verify the rules before submitting.

Restoration is a gateway step, not wage recovery. GOV.UK explains that once a court makes an order, the order must be sent to the Registrar of Companies so the company can be restored. It then describes further steps to pursue money, such as obtaining a judgment or using another enforcement route. A restored company may still have no recoverable assets. Weigh the cost, possible time and evidence with an adviser; do not spend money on restoration solely because a forum comment said it is the only choice.

Build a document packet before contacting an adviser

Keep a dated, unaltered copy of:

  • The contract, written particulars, job offer and any pay-rate or payday messages.
  • Payslips, rota records, time records, bank statements and a calculation of unpaid wages.
  • The legal employer’s name and number from Companies House, together with your employment records.
  • The tribunal claim, case number, evidence already filed and every tribunal letter or order.
  • Any messages from directors, a liquidator, administrator, official receiver or other insolvency contact.
  • Companies House status and the insolvency case reference, if one exists.
  • A timeline of the last working day, dismissal, company-status change, claim events and deadlines.

Keep personal data secure. Share only what the tribunal, government service or professional needs. Do not publish National Insurance numbers, bank details, home addresses or unredacted tribunal papers. If there are several company entities or trading names, make a simple table showing which document names each one; do not assume that a director or another company is personally responsible without a legal basis.

For a practical way to assemble a chronology and source documents, use the general legal case-intake workflow. If your dispute is instead about whether a short trial shift had to be paid, see our England unpaid trial shift guide; it covers a different wage issue and does not address dissolved companies.

A fictional example: the employer’s status changes the next question

Maya works in a London restaurant for one month and is owed wages. She files an Employment Tribunal claim after repeated unanswered messages. The tribunal later writes that the case is paused because the named company has been dissolved and asks her to provide an update about restoration. Maya has a letter mentioning a £326 fee, but she does not know whether the restaurant entered formal insolvency or was simply struck off.

Maya first saves the tribunal letter and marks its response date. She checks the company number shown on her payslip against Companies House and downloads the status record. She asks the tribunal to confirm exactly what evidence it needs and whether the deadline remains in place while she investigates. If the register or an insolvency contact identifies a formal process, she asks for the CN number and checks the Insolvency Service route. If the company is dissolved without the relevant case reference, she asks an adviser about the court restoration route and checks current fee-help eligibility before deciding whether to file.

The example does not predict whether Maya’s claim will succeed or whether she will recover money. It illustrates why company status, tribunal directions and recovery route should be verified separately before paying a fee or abandoning a claim.

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating closure as insolvency. A closed restaurant, dissolved company and formal insolvency process are not the same. Confirm the register and any case handler.

Using a trading name instead of the respondent’s legal identity. Compare the company number and legal name on employment records, tribunal documents and official filings.

Assuming restoration guarantees payment. Restoration may allow a process to continue, but further steps are needed and assets may be absent.

Assuming the government fund pays every employee claim. The Insolvency Service route has eligibility rules, payment limits, reference numbers and deadlines.

Ignoring the tribunal letter while researching. Keep its exact deadline and ask the tribunal how to update the case.

Treating a forum statement as a ruling. Comments can suggest a question to check, but they do not replace the written order, government guidance or case-specific advice.

Checklist

  1. Read and calendar every tribunal direction and response date.
  2. Confirm the exact respondent and company number.
  3. Check whether the company is dissolved, in formal insolvency, or simply not trading.
  4. If there is an insolvency practitioner or official receiver, ask for the CN reference and check the government claim route and deadline.
  5. If the company is dissolved, read current England and Wales court-restoration guidance and ask for advice on the N208 route, evidence, fee and potential costs.
  6. Check Help with Fees eligibility before assuming you must pay the full court fee.
  7. Keep the tribunal, company-status and insolvency records in one dated packet.
  8. Do not assume a restored company has assets or that an award will be paid.

Gotham helps teams organize employment records and review document workflows. It does not decide a tribunal case, restore a company, submit a court claim or guarantee recovery. To discuss a document workflow, contact Gotham, or see the general document workflow overview.

Questions about a paused claim and dissolved employer

Can an Employment Tribunal continue a claim against a dissolved company?

The correct next step depends on the tribunal's written direction and the company's legal status. If the tribunal says the respondent must be restored, ask it to confirm the deadline and evidence it requires. GOV.UK describes a court restoration route for people who worked for a dissolved company or are owed money.

Is a dissolved company automatically in a formal insolvency process?

No. Check the Companies House status and obtain any insolvency practitioner's or official receiver's case details. The Insolvency Service route for employer insolvency uses a CN case reference; dissolution alone does not prove that you can apply through that route.

Can I claim unpaid wages from the Insolvency Service?

If the employer is in a qualifying insolvency process, eligible employees may apply for specified unpaid wages and other sums, subject to status, limits, reference numbers and deadlines. GOV.UK says wage, redundancy and holiday applications generally require a CN number and must be made within six months of dismissal.

What does restoration cost and will it recover my wages?

The current GOV.UK England and Wales guide lists a £326 court fee for a court-order restoration application and supporting evidence. A restoration order only restores the company to the register; GOV.UK says further steps are needed to pursue the money. Check Help with Fees if the charge is unaffordable, and do not assume recovery.

Who can apply to restore a dissolved employer?

GOV.UK says a person who worked for the company or was owed money when it dissolved may be able to apply for a court order. The process is distinct from administrative restoration, which is generally limited to a director or shareholder who meets the stated conditions.

Should I withdraw my tribunal claim while checking these routes?

Do not withdraw or ignore a tribunal direction based on a general article. Keep the case number and ask the tribunal what response it requires, by when, and whether the hearing is stayed, postponed or dismissed. Seek advice about limitation and case status before taking a step.

General information about England and Wales company restoration and employment records, not legal advice. A dissolved company, formal insolvency and an Employment Tribunal order are different matters. Check current court directions and obtain qualified advice for an individual claim.
How Gotham researches and reviews field guides

Share this guide