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Where our figures come from

Every rate, threshold and court fee quoted on this site, with the primary source and the date we last checked it.

Debt recovery advice is worth exactly as much as the figures it rests on, and figures move. Everything numeric on this site is listed below with its source. We last checked all of it on 30 August 2026.

The figures, as at 30 August 2026
Bank of England base rate3.75%
Statutory interest margin over base rate8.0%
Statutory interest, 1 July to 31 December 202611.75%
Fixed compensation, debt under £1,000£40
Fixed compensation, £1,000 to £9,999.99£70
Fixed compensation, £10,000 or more£100
Default payment terms where none agreed30 days
Maximum B2B payment terms before challenge60 days
Limitation period, simple contract debt6 years
Statutory demand threshold, companyover £750
Statutory demand threshold, individual£5,000
Minimum judgment for High Court enforcement£600
Winding-up petition court fee£352
Official Receiver's deposit on a petition£2,600
VAT bad debt relief, from due date6 months

Court fees are the scale in force from 13 July 2026.

Scotland, as at 2 October 2026
Simple Procedure limit, Sheriff Court£5,000
Simple Procedure claim form fee, £300 or less£23
Simple Procedure claim form fee, over £300£127
Charge for payment: period before diligence14 days
Charge for payment: period if abroad / unknown28 days
Charge for payment: usable for diligence for2 years
Negative prescription, ordinary contract debt5 years

Sheriff Court fees are the scale in force from 1 April 2026. The statutory interest and compensation entitlement above applies in Scotland as well — it is a UK-wide right.

Northern Ireland, as at 13 October 2026
Small Claims Court limit, County Court£5,000, since 3 October 2022
County Court general civil jurisdiction£30,000
Small Claims Court fee, up to £300£47
Small Claims Court fee, £300.01 to £500£77
Small Claims Court fee, £500.01 to £1,000£108
Small Claims Court fee, over £1,000£155
EJO Notice of Intent to Enforce fee£31
EJO Notice of Intent: days to pay or arrange10 days
Limitation period, simple contract debt6 years

County Court and EJO fees are the scale in force from 1 October 2024. The statutory interest and compensation entitlement above applies in Northern Ireland as well — it is a UK-wide right.

Sources

If you spot something out of date, tell us and we will fix it — hello@businessdebtrecovery.co.uk. A wrong rate on a debt recovery site is not a typo, it is a bad calculation somebody may act on.

Credits

The Badger mark is the badger icon from game-icons.net, used under CC BY 3.0.

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