Best CCJ Set-Aside Resource If You Are on a Low Income (Help with Fees Explained)
If you need to set aside a CCJ but cannot afford the standard £321 on-notice N244 fee, Help with Fees (Form EX160) can reduce it, including to nothing if you qualify. An application based strictly on CPR 13.2 is fee-exempt. Help with Fees is a formal HMCTS fee remission scheme with published eligibility tests. The best resource for a low-income set-aside is one that walks you through both the N244 application and the EX160 fee remission in a single sequence, so neither one holds up the other.
How Help with Fees Works for CCJ Set-Aside Applications
Help with Fees applies to court fees in England and Wales, including the standard £321 on-notice N244 fee or £126 for an application by consent. Applications based strictly on CPR 13.2 are fee-exempt. You apply online at the GOV.UK Help with Fees portal or on a paper EX160 form. Eligibility uses capital and gross monthly income tests; qualifying state benefits may also be relevant.
| Test | Full Remission Benchmark | Partial Remission | No Remission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital and savings | Under £4,250 (under 66) / under £16,000 (66+) | — | At or above the applicable limit |
| Gross monthly income | £1,420 for a single applicant without children; £2,070 for a couple without children, plus £425 for the first child and £280 for each additional child | £5 for each £10 of income above the applicable threshold | Contribution reaches the full fee |
Applicants receiving qualifying state benefits can apply, but the benefits do not by themselves establish eligibility: the scheme also uses a capital test. For income above the applicable threshold, the contribution is £5 for every £10 of excess gross monthly income, capped at the full fee.
If you qualify for Help with Fees, include the reference number with your N244 when you file it at CNBC. If a fee is due and you file without either the fee or a valid HWF reference, CNBC may return the application unprocessed, costing time on your promptness timeline.
The Promptness Problem on a Budget
Under CPR 13.3, the court considers whether you acted promptly after discovering the CCJ. Every week spent waiting — whether for a free legal advice appointment, a payday to cover the fee, or simply because you did not know about Help with Fees — adds to the delay the court considers. Pro bono clinics face high demand and can have long waiting lists, and the promptness requirement does not pause while you wait.
This is why the most practical approach for a low-income applicant is a self-help guide that covers the fee remission process alongside the set-aside procedure. You do not need to choose between understanding your legal options and figuring out how to pay for them — you do both at the same time.
What a Good Low-Income Set-Aside Route Looks Like
The Setting Aside a CCJ Guide is built for exactly this situation. It covers:
- The Help with Fees walkthrough — how to check the state-benefit route, capital limits, and gross monthly income thresholds, and how to submit the EX160 online or on paper
- Filing the N244 with an HWF reference — where the reference number goes on the form, and what happens if the court queries your eligibility
- The Set-Aside Decision Flowchart — whether you fall under CPR 13.2 (mandatory, defective service) or 13.3 (discretionary), which determines the legal test the judge applies
- Witness statement and evidence tools — structured worksheets for the chronological event log, document inventory, and witness statement that you can complete at home without legal help
The total cost, if you qualify for full fee remission, is just the guide itself — no court fee, no solicitor, no managed removal service charging £949.
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Who This Is For
- Anyone in England or Wales with a default CCJ who may qualify for Help with Fees under the income, capital, or state-benefit rules
- Low-income workers whose household income falls below the HWF sliding-scale threshold
- Anyone who cannot afford the standard £321 on-notice court fee and does not know that fee remission exists
- People who have been quoted £500–£1,200 by a solicitor and need a cheaper path
- Sole traders whose business income has dropped and who need to clear a CCJ to restore credit
Who This Is NOT For
- Anyone with capital at or above £4,250 if under 66, or £16,000 if aged 66 or over, and earnings well above the threshold — you will not qualify for HWF, though the self-help route still saves on solicitor fees
- Anyone with a CCJ arising from a consumer credit debt (lender, debt buyer, or collection agency) — StepChange and National Debtline offer free regulated debt advice and are the right first step
- Anyone who wants full legal representation — the guide covers the procedure, not advocacy at the hearing
Free Alternatives and Their Limits
Several free services exist, but each has constraints that matter when you are working against a promptness deadline:
| Resource | What It Offers | Practical Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Citizens Advice | General CCJ guidance, HWF overview | Primarily consumer debt focused; limited appointment availability |
| LawWorks legal clinics | Free initial legal advice sessions | High demand and potentially long waiting lists; they do not prepare and file the application for you |
| Support Through Court | Emotional and procedural support at court | Cannot prepare paperwork or give legal advice |
| AdviceNow | High-level N244 guidance | Overview only — no worksheets, no evidence templates, no HWF walkthrough |
| GOV.UK | Form N244 and EX160 downloads | Raw forms with no instructions on what to write |
These services are valuable starting points, but none of them provide a complete application system — the structured tools that turn scattered evidence and uncertain deadlines into a filed, court-ready N244 with a witness statement.
The Numbers That Matter
A managed CCJ removal service like FixMyFile charges £949 and retains a £99 non-refundable fee if the application fails. Treadstone's starting solicitor fee is £299 + VAT; Parachute Law charges £480 + VAT for an unconsented application, plus £660–£880 + VAT for hearing advocacy if used. The standard court fee is £321 for an on-notice application without consent or £126 by consent; applications based strictly on CPR 13.2 are fee-exempt.
With Help with Fees, a self-represented applicant using a structured guide can file a complete application for less than the cost of a single hour with most solicitors. The court paperwork is identical — the same Form N244, the same witness statement format, the same exhibit bundle requirements. The judge does not know and does not care how much you paid to prepare it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply for Help with Fees online?
Yes. You can apply online or use a paper Form EX160. If you need a Help with Fees reference, apply before filing so you can include it with the N244; check the current GOV.UK instructions for the processing steps.
What if I am working but earning very little?
For a single applicant without children, the gross monthly income threshold is £1,420; for a couple without children it is £2,070, with allowances of £425 for the first child and £280 for each additional child. Above the applicable threshold, the contribution is £5 for each £10 of excess income, up to the full fee. The capital limits also apply.
Does Help with Fees cover the solicitor's fee too?
No. Help with Fees covers only HMCTS court fees. A solicitor's charges, a managed service fee, or a guide purchase are separate private costs.
What happens if my Help with Fees application is rejected?
Follow HMCTS's next-step instructions if your Help with Fees application is rejected. If a fee is due, do not assume the N244 will be processed until the fee is paid or a valid reference is accepted; keep a record of when you applied when explaining your promptness.
Can I apply for Help with Fees after I have already paid the court fee?
Check the current GOV.UK Help with Fees instructions before paying if you hope to claim a refund afterward. Applying before filing lets you include a reference with the N244 when a fee is due.
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