You must have less than the maximum amount of savings to be eligible. If you have a partner, you must include their savings too. If you and your partner are 65 or younger, the maximum amount of savings you can have depends on how much the court or tribunal fee is. For example, you can have: Up to £4,250 in savings if your fee is £1,420 or less Up to £16,000 in savings if your fee is over £7,000 Most court and tribunal fees are less than £1,420. If you or your partner are 66 or older, you can have up to £16,000 in savings, whatever your fee is. Check the amount of savings you can have using the ‘How to apply for help with fees’ guidance included with form EX160.

You can get money off your fee if you claim one of the following benefits: Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Income Support Universal Credit (and you earn less than £6,000 a year) Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit) You must also have less than the maximum amount of money in savings. This is usually up to £4,250.

Your income includes anything you earn before tax and any other payments you receive. When you apply, you must report either: Your income in the last calendar month – for example, if you apply in January, you report your income in December Your average income over the last 3 calendar months - for example, if you apply in April, you report your average income between January, February and March Report whichever income is lower. You can get money off your fee if your reported income is: £1,420 or less, if you’re single £2,130 or less, if you have a partner For each child you have, your reported income can be: £425 more for children aged 0 to 13 £710 more for children aged 14 and over For example, if you have a partner and two children aged 7 and 5, your reported income can be up to £2,980. You must also have less than the maximum amount of money in savings. This is usually up to £4,250. If you earn more, you may be able to get some money off your fee. This depends on how much your court fee is. Check if you’re eligible using the ‘How to apply for help with fees’ guidance included with form EX160.

Paying Court and Tribunal fees

You can apply for money off of your court and tribunal fees either before or after you have paid the fee.

If you have already paid the fee, you can apply to get money back if you have done the following:

You have paid the fee in the last three months
You were eligible for help when you paid it

Call 03300 160 051

Eligibility Criteria

You will be eligible for receiving help with paying your court and tribunal fees, depending on:

How much money you have in savings
Which benefits you claim
Your income

1. Savings

You must have less than the maximum amount of savings to be eligible. If you have a partner, you must include their savings too.

If you and your partner are 65 or younger, the maximum amount of savings you can have depends on how much the court or tribunal fee is.

For example, you can have:

Up to £4,250 in savings if your fee is £1,420 or less
Up to £16,000 in savings if your fee is over £7,000
Most court and tribunal fees are less than £1,420.

If you or your partner are 66 or older, you can have up to £16,000 in savings, whatever your fee is.

Check the amount of savings you can have using the ‘How to apply for help with fees’ guidance included with form EX160.

2. Claimed Benefits

You can get money off your fee if you claim one of the following benefits:

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Income Support
Universal Credit (and you earn less than £6,000 a year)
Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)

You must also have less than the maximum amount of money in savings. This is usually up to £4,250.

3. Income

Your income includes anything you earn before tax and any other payments you receive.

When you apply, you must report either:

Your income in the last calendar month – for example, if you apply in January, you report your income in December
Your average income over the last 3 calendar months - for example, if you apply in April, you report your average income between January, February and March Report whichever income is lower.

You can get money off your fee if your reported income is:

£1,420 or less, if you’re single
£2,130 or less, if you have a partner

For each child you have, your reported income can be:

£425 more for children aged 0 to 13
£710 more for children aged 14 and over

For example, if you have a partner and two children aged 7 and 5, your reported income can be up to £2,980. You must also have less than the maximum amount of money in savings. This is usually up to £4,250.

If you earn more, you may be able to get some money off your fee. This depends on how much your court fee is.

Check if you’re eligible using the ‘How to apply for help with fees’ guidance included with form EX160.

Image of a male on his laptop with a purple connecting line running through

How to apply:

If you have more than one fee to pay, you must apply for help with each fee separately.

If you need help with fees for the Court of Protection, you cannot use this service. Fill in form COP44A instead and submit it with your court application.

Contact us to receive free support:

If you do not have access to the internet or do not feel confident using it, contact us:

Call us 03300 160 051

Text “FORM” to 64073

Email us support@wearegroup.com

Please be aware this service does not provide legal advice or technical support for issues encountered when filling in an online form (such as error messages and frozen pages).