Letter Before Claim — Debt Recovery
Pre-action protocol letter from creditor to debtor before issuing a money claim in the County Court.
When to use this template
When seeking to recover money owed to you (business or personal) before issuing court proceedings. Mandatory under the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims (against individuals) since October 2017.
When NOT to use this template
If the debtor is a registered company (different protocol applies — Practice Direction Pre-Action Conduct); if you have already issued proceedings; if the debt is statute-barred (over 6 years old for simple contract debts).
Legal Basis
Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims; Civil Procedure Rules; Limitation Act 1980 s.5.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ✗Not including the Information Sheet, Reply Form, and Statement of Account as required by the Protocol
- ✗Demanding payment within less than 30 days (the Protocol minimum)
- ✗Failing to consider any genuine dispute the debtor has raised before issuing proceedings
- ✗Threatening immediate court action without giving the 30-day window
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Letter preview
[Your Name / Business Name] [Your Address] [Telephone] [Email] [Debtor's Name] [Debtor's Address] Date: [DATE OF LETTER] WITHOUT PREJUDICE SAVE AS TO COSTS Dear [DEBTOR'S NAME], Pre-Action Protocol Letter — Debt of £[AMOUNT OWED (£)] We write under the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims, which applies to this matter. Please read this letter carefully. 1. The debt You owe me / us the sum of £[AMOUNT OWED (£)] arising from [WHAT THE DEBT IS FOR]. The debt has been outstanding since [DATE THE DEBT BECAME DUE]. 2. Interest and charges [Optional: Interest is claimed at the statutory rate of 8% per annum under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 / Senior Courts Act 1981 s.35A, accruing from [DATE INTEREST STARTED ACCRUING (OPTIONAL)].] 3. Documents enclosed In accordance with the Protocol, I enclose: (a) the prescribed Information Sheet about the Protocol; (b) a Reply Form for you to complete and return; (c) a Statement of Account showing how the debt has accumulated, including any payments made and interest charged. 4. What you must do Within 30 days of receipt of this letter, you must: (a) reply on the Reply Form (admitting, disputing, or seeking time to pay); OR (b) make payment in full; OR (c) contact me / us to discuss a repayment plan. If you dispute the debt, please set out your reasons clearly and provide any supporting documents. 5. Free advice If you are struggling to pay, I would urge you to seek free, independent debt advice from: - Citizens Advice: www.citizensadvice.org.uk - StepChange: www.stepchange.org - National Debtline: www.nationaldebtline.org 6. Court action If you do not respond within 30 days, or we cannot agree a resolution, I / we will consider issuing County Court proceedings to recover the debt, with interest and costs. Yours sincerely, [YOUR NAME]
Unfilled fields appear as [FIELD NAME]. Review the letter carefully before sending. This template is a starting point — adapt it to your specific circumstances.