Letter Before Action UK — Free Template & Generator

A Letter Before Action (LBA) is the final formal step before taking a debtor to court. Under the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims, you are required to send one before filing a claim. This page explains what an LBA is, when to send it, and gives you a free template — plus a tool to generate a personalised one in seconds.

Generate a personalised LBA in 10 seconds: Invoice Chaser's LBA generator fills in your details, client address, amount, and statutory interest automatically. Try it free →

What is a Letter Before Action?

A Letter Before Action (also called a "Letter Before Claim") is a formal written notice sent to a debtor before you start legal proceedings. It tells them you intend to take them to court if they don't pay within a set period — usually 14 days.

In the UK, the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims (which applies to all consumer debt and most B2B debt) requires creditors to send an LBA before issuing a County Court claim. If you skip this step, the court may penalise you on costs even if you win.

When should you send an LBA?

An LBA is appropriate when:

The invoice is at least 30–60 days overdue
You have already sent at least two chase emails with no payment or satisfactory response
The debtor has been evasive, unresponsive, or has broken a payment promise
You are prepared to follow through with a court claim if they don't pay

⚠ Important: Only send an LBA if you genuinely intend to take court action if payment is not received. Sending an LBA as a bluff and then doing nothing undermines your credibility and may affect future recovery attempts.

What must a UK Letter Before Action include?

Under the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims, your LBA must include:

Your full name and address
The debtor's full name and address
The amount owed and how it is calculated
Whether you are adding interest and/or charges (and the rate)
A clear payment deadline (14 days is standard)
A statement that court proceedings will follow if payment is not received
Details of how to respond if there is a dispute

Free Letter Before Action template — UK

Copy and edit this template. Replace all [BRACKETED] fields with your own details. Send by email and optionally by post.

[YOUR FULL NAME / COMPANY NAME] [YOUR ADDRESS LINE 1] [YOUR TOWN, POSTCODE] [YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS] [TODAY'S DATE] [CLIENT FULL NAME / COMPANY NAME] [CLIENT ADDRESS LINE 1] [CLIENT TOWN, POSTCODE] RE: LETTER BEFORE ACTION — INVOICE [INVOICE NUMBER] — £[AMOUNT OWED] Dear [Client name / The Directors of Client Company], LETTER BEFORE ACTION I write regarding the outstanding payment of £[AMOUNT] relating to [DESCRIPTION OF WORK / GOODS / SERVICES], invoiced on [INVOICE DATE] as Invoice [INVOICE NUMBER] with payment due on [DUE DATE]. Despite previous correspondence on [DATE OF FIRST CHASE] and [DATE OF SECOND CHASE], the above sum remains unpaid. This letter constitutes formal notice under the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims. AMOUNT NOW CLAIMED Outstanding invoice: £[AMOUNT] Statutory interest ([X] days at 12.25% p.a.): £[INTEREST AMOUNT] Debt recovery cost (under Late Payment Act): £[40 / 70 / 100] TOTAL NOW DUE: £[TOTAL] Statutory interest is claimed under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, at 8% above the Bank of England base rate (currently [CHECK CURRENT RATE AT bankofengland.co.uk]%), giving a total rate of [TOTAL RATE]% per annum. REQUIRED ACTION You are required to pay the total sum of £[TOTAL] within 14 days of the date of this letter — by [DATE 14 DAYS FROM TODAY]. Payment should be made to: Account name: [YOUR ACCOUNT NAME] Sort code: [SORT CODE] Account number:[ACCOUNT NUMBER] Reference: [INVOICE NUMBER] IF YOU DISPUTE THIS DEBT If you believe you have grounds to dispute all or part of this claim, you must notify me in writing within 14 days, setting out the nature of any dispute and providing supporting documentation. Failure to respond will be treated as acceptance of the debt. CONSEQUENCES OF NON-PAYMENT If payment is not received in full by [DATE], I will issue proceedings against you in the County Court without further notice. A County Court Judgment (CCJ) entered against you may affect your ability to obtain credit and will appear on your credit record for six years. I strongly urge you to avoid this outcome by settling the outstanding balance promptly. Yours sincerely, [YOUR SIGNATURE] [YOUR PRINTED NAME] [YOUR COMPANY (if applicable)] [YOUR PHONE NUMBER]

Step-by-step: what to do after sending an LBA

Send the LBA by email and post. Email gives you a timestamp. A printed letter sent by Royal Mail Signed For gives you proof of delivery. Keep copies of everything.
Wait 14 days. The protocol requires you give the debtor a reasonable time to respond. 14 days is the standard. Don't chase mid-period — let it sit.
If they pay: Issue a receipt and mark the invoice as settled. Keep a record in case of any future dispute.
If they respond with a dispute: Consider their response carefully. If it's a genuine dispute, attempt to resolve it. If it's a delaying tactic, proceed to court.
If no response and no payment: File a claim through Money Claim Online (MCOL) for debts up to £100,000. The fee is based on the amount claimed. For debts under £10,000, this is treated as a "small claim" with simplified procedures.

How much statutory interest can I add?

Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 (which applies to B2B transactions), you can charge:

Interest: 8% + Bank of England base rate per year. The total rate was 12.25%/year as of early 2025 (4.25% base rate) — verify the current rate before including this figure in your LBA
Debt recovery costs (B2B only): £40 fixed for debts under £1,000 · £70 for £1,000–£9,999 · £100 for £10,000+

Invoice Chaser's calculator works this out automatically and includes it in the generated LBA.

Does an LBA work?

In most cases, yes. A professionally worded LBA, particularly one that mentions a specific court filing date, resolves the majority of disputes before they reach court. The threat of a CCJ — which remains on a company's credit file for six years and affects their ability to obtain credit — is a significant deterrent.

For larger debts or debtors who are clearly solvent but refusing to pay, an LBA is almost always worth sending before incurring court fees.

Generate a personalised LBA in seconds — free

Invoice Chaser fills in your name, client details, amount, statutory interest, and deadline automatically. Just review and send.

Generate my LBA — free →