Small Claims Court UK: Consumer Guide (2026)

Overview

The small claims track is part of the County Court system in England and Wales. It handles lower-value civil disputes, typically money claims up to a set limit (currently £10,000 for most claims, with a lower cap for housing disrepair and personal injury matters, so check the latest figures on gov.uk).

Typical examples include unpaid invoices, faulty goods, poor workmanship, disputes with a landlord over a deposit, or a refund a retailer has refused to process. The track is deliberately informal compared to other court proceedings. Strict rules of evidence are relaxed, hearings are shorter, and the winning party usually cannot recover legal fees from the losing side, which is why most people represent themselves.

Cases are now issued through the Money Claim Online service for straightforward debt claims, or on paper using Form N1 for more complex matters. Once issued, the claim follows a predictable path: response, allocation, possible mediation, and, if nothing settles it, a final hearing before a district judge.

Key steps

1. Send a letter before claim. Before you issue anything at court, write to the other side setting out what went wrong, what you want them to do, and a reasonable deadline to respond (usually 14 days for consumers, longer for businesses). This is not optional window dressing: the Pre-Action Protocols expect it, and judges can penalise claimants who skip it. A clear, calm letter also resolves a surprising number of disputes without further steps. 2. Issue your claim. If there is no satisfactory response, you can start proceedings. Money claims for a fixed sum are usually issued online through Money Claim Online; other claims use Form N1. You will set out the parties, a concise account of what happened, the legal basis for the claim, and the amount sought including any interest. A court fee is payable when you issue, and the fee scales with the value of your claim, so check the current amounts on gov.uk. 3. Serve the defendant and wait for a response. The court normally serves the claim on the defendant, who then has a set period (usually 14 days, extendable to 28 if they file an acknowledgement of service) to respond. They can pay up, admit the claim, defend it, or file a counterclaim. If they ignore the claim entirely, you can apply for judgment in default, which often ends matters quickly if the defendant has simply failed to engage. 4. Allocation and mediation. If the claim is defended, both sides complete a directions questionnaire and the court allocates the case, usually to the small claims track given the value. You will normally be offered free mediation through the Small Claims Mediation Service, which is a confidential telephone discussion with a court-appointed mediator. Many claims settle at this stage, saving everyone a hearing, so take it seriously and go in knowing what outcome you would actually accept. 5. Prepare for and attend the hearing. If mediation does not resolve things, the court will list a hearing and issue directions: typically exchanging documents and witness statements by set dates. Organise your evidence chronologically, bring copies for the judge and the other side, and prepare a short summary of what you want to say. Hearings are informal, the judge will ask questions, and a decision is usually given on the day.