Discrimination at work? Most people claim £5,000 when they should be claiming £20,000+.
You have been discriminated against and someone has offered you £3,000 to go away quietly. It feels like a lot. It probably is not.
Injury to feelings awards are the part of a discrimination claim most people undervalue, because nobody explains how they are actually decided. Employers know the bands. They are counting on you not knowing them.
Written by a qualified solicitor with 23 years of employment law experience. England and Wales. General educational information, not individual legal advice.
What you get inside.
The full Vento framework, the evidence tribunals want to see, real case examples, and the strategic presentation that pushes a claim into the upper end of the right band.
Vento bands explained.
Lower, middle, upper, and exceptional. Current 2026/27 figures, what each band represents, and how tribunals decide which band you sit in.
Evidence tribunals want to see.
Medical evidence, witness statements, contemporaneous notes, GP records, time off work, impact on relationships. What counts and how to gather it.
Real case examples with calculations.
Worked examples showing how a tribunal moved from facts to figure. The reasoning patterns, not just the numbers.
Strategic presentation.
How to write up the impact section so it lands. The factual, dated, specific narrative tribunals reward.
Aggravated and exemplary damages.
When they apply, when they don't, and how to plead them properly if they do.
Common errors that destroy claims.
Vague impact statements, missing medical evidence, dates that don't line up, overclaiming. The mistakes that knock claims into the lower band.
The full table of contents.
What's covered.
- What injury to feelings actually compensates for.
- The Vento bands in current 2026/27 figures.
- How tribunals decide which band applies.
- Evidence required for each band.
- Medical and psychological evidence.
- Witness statement structure for impact.
- Contemporaneous notes and why they matter.
- Real case examples with full reasoning.
- Aggravated damages. When and how.
- Exemplary damages. The narrow circumstances.
- Strategic presentation of the impact section.
- Common errors that destroy claims.
The honest comparison.
If you're going to spend money getting this right, here's the picture. A solicitor will charge £500 + VAT for an initial consultation. This guide is the framework that helps you build a properly evidenced injury to feelings claim before that meeting.
Who this is for.
If any of this is where you are right now, this is the guide for you.
- You're bringing a discrimination claim (age, disability, race, sex, religion, sexual orientation).
- You're claiming harassment or whistleblowing detriment.
- You've been told to put a figure on your injury to feelings claim and you have no idea where to start.
- You want to know what evidence the tribunal actually expects.
- You're worried you'll undersell yourself by claiming the wrong band.
- You want real case examples, not just the headline figures.
Get the guide.
One-off purchase, £29. Instant PDF download. The complete Vento and evidence framework.
Get the guide. £29Common questions.
Is this legal advice for my specific case?
No. This is general educational information for England and Wales. Every situation is different. For complex cases, consider booking a one-off consultation with a qualified employment solicitor.
How is this delivered?
Instant download as a PDF after purchase. Files won't open? I'll fix it or refund you.
Does this cover Scotland or Northern Ireland?
No. England and Wales only. The legal framework, time limits, and statutory references are for England and Wales.
Can I get a refund if I don't find it useful?
Digital guides are non-refundable once downloaded. The full table of contents above shows exactly what's inside. If you have a question before buying, contact info@thesecretlawyer.co.uk.