What It Is — and What Should Be In It
For debts claimed by a business against an individual, the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims requires the letter to include: how much is claimed and how it's calculated, who the original creditor was if the debt was sold, an Information Sheet and Reply Form, and a Financial Statement form. You then normally have 30 days to reply before they can reasonably start a claim.
A threatening email with none of that attached isn't protocol-compliant — which matters, because courts expect the protocol to be followed.
Your Four Moves — Pick One Inside the Window
- Dispute it — tick the dispute option on the Reply Form and say why. Responding is not admitting anything.
- Demand proof — especially if it's a debt collector or debt buyer: ask for the agreement, statements and proof they own the debt. See prove the debt — many bought debts quietly die at this step.
- Offer what you can afford — if the debt is real, return the Financial Statement with a realistic instalment offer. Engaging early keeps cases out of court.
- Ask for time — the Reply Form lets you say you're getting advice; that generally buys additional time before court action.
If You Ignore It — The CCJ Path
Silence typically leads to a county court claim form, and unanswered claims become default CCJs — which sit on your credit file for six years and are far harder to unwind than a reply would have been. If a claim form has already arrived, go straight to our county court claim guide — the response deadlines there are short and strict.
Letter Before Action — Quick Answers
Is it a court document? No — no claim exists yet. That's exactly why this is the cheapest moment to act.
Can I negotiate even after the 30 days? Often yes — creditors prefer payment to court costs — but inside the window is far stronger.
Is the letter even real? Check the sender against the debt and run anything odd through Scam Check. Then upload it to the letter decoder — deadline extracted, reply drafted via the letter writer, case tracked in My cases.