Fees · 6 min read
Small claims court fees: what you pay, and when you get it back.
Fee amounts checked against GOV.UK on 5 October 2026. This guide covers the claim fee only — hearings and enforcement can carry separate fees.
People say “small claims court” for any money claim through the county court in England and Wales. The claim fee depends on how much you are claiming (plus any interest you are claiming on the same form).
The fee table (2026)
| Claim amount | Court fee |
|---|---|
| Up to £300 | £35 |
| £300.01 – £500 | £50 |
| £500.01 – £1,000 | £70 |
| £1,000.01 – £1,500 | £80 |
| £1,500.01 – £3,000 | £115 |
| £3,000.01 – £5,000 | £205 |
| £5,000.01 – £10,000 | £455 |
| £10,000.01 – £200,000 | 5% of the claim |
| More than £200,000 | £10,000 |
Source: GOV.UK, “Make a court claim for money: Court fees”, checked 5 October 2026. The online service calculates the fee for you.
Three things people miss
1. The fee is calculated on claim + interest
If you claim £950 plus £180 interest, you pay the fee for the £1,130 total — that is the £80 band, not the £70 band.
2. Help with Fees exists
If you are on a low income or certain benefits, you can apply for Help with Fees (form EX160) before you make the claim. You get a reference number you use on the claim. If you apply by post, the claim itself must also go by post.
3. Winning can refund the fee
If your claim succeeds, you can normally add the court fee (and other fixed costs) to the sum the other side must pay. The fee is not refunded automatically — it is added to what you enforce.
Where the paperwork gets heavy
The fee is the easy part. Winning at a small claims hearing turns on your evidence being organised: invoices, messages, delivery notes, photographs — with dates in order and pages numbered, so the judge can follow your account without hunting. District judges see dozens of files a day; the well-organised one gets heard properly.
EvidenceCanvas gives you a neutral workspace to do exactly that: upload documents into an inventory, build the date-ordered timeline, and export a paginated, indexed pack for the hearing. See how it works for litigants in person, or start with the free starter kit.
Not legal advice. For the authoritative fee table use GOV.UK.