How to Respond to a Money Claim Online (OCMC): Step-by-Step Guide

If your county court money claim was issued through the Online Civil Money Claims (OCMC) service — sometimes still called CMC — you respond through the same digital portal. The claim notification you received includes a link and access code. Responding online is faster than posting paper forms and gives you an immediate timestamp proving you met the deadline.

Before You Start

Gather these before logging in:

• Your claim notification (email or letter) with the access code and claim number
• The Particulars of Claim (the factual details of what the claimant says you owe)
• Any evidence you want to reference (invoices, emails, photos, receipts)
• Your income and expenditure figures if you plan to admit and request instalments

The portal does not save partial responses automatically on every page. Complete as much as you can in one session, or note where you left off.

Step-by-Step Response Process

Step 1: Log In

Go to the OCMC portal through the link in your claim notification. Enter your claim number and the access code or security pin provided. If you have lost the access details, call the HMCTS helpline to request them — do not wait, because your deadline keeps running.

Step 2: Review the Claim Details

The portal shows the claimant's name, the amount claimed, the Particulars of Claim, and your response deadline. Read the Particulars carefully — your response must address every factual allegation made.

Step 3: Choose Your Response

The portal presents your options:

Pay the full amount: You accept the claim and pay directly to the claimant. The portal provides payment instructions.

Admit all and request time to pay: You accept you owe the money but need instalments or a later payment date. The portal walks you through an income and expenditure form — the same information as paper Form N9A.

Admit part: You accept part of the debt and dispute the rest. You enter the amount you admit, propose payment terms for that portion, and submit a defence for the balance.

Defend the entire claim: You deny owing the money and file a full defence. The portal gives you text fields to respond to each allegation in the Particulars. You can also file a counterclaim if the claimant owes you money from the same dispute.

Step 4: Complete Your Response

For a defence, work through each allegation systematically. For each one, state whether you admit it, deny it (with reasons), or require the claimant to prove it. The portal formats your responses into the correct structure.

For an admission with instalments, complete the income and expenditure section honestly. Propose a monthly amount you can realistically sustain — the claimant or a court officer will review it.

Step 5: Statement of Truth and Submit

The portal requires you to confirm a Statement of Truth — that you believe the facts in your response are true. Review everything before confirming, because you cannot easily amend a submitted response.

Once submitted, the portal timestamps your response and serves a copy on the claimant automatically. Download or screenshot the confirmation page for your records.

After Submission

If you filed a defence, the court sends both parties a Directions Questionnaire (Form N180 for small claims track cases). You must complete and return this by the court's deadline. It asks about mediation, your preferred hearing location, witness numbers, and trial availability.

For small claims track cases (up to £10,000), you will be automatically referred to the HMCTS Small Claims Mediation Service under Practice Direction 51ZE. Attendance is mandatory.

The England & Wales Money Claim Response Guide covers the entire process from receiving your claim papers through to the hearing, including deadline calculations, defence drafting, and mediation preparation.

See more England and Wales guides →