What Form N9A is for
The form a defendant uses to admit owing all or part of a money claim and to offer payment terms.
Who files it: The defendant, when they accept they owe the money.
The official form is published by HM Courts & Tribunals Service. Download the current version from GOV.UK rather than reusing an old copy, because the forms change.
When to use it
- You admit the whole claim and want to propose paying by instalments or by a set date.
- You admit part of the claim. You then also file an N9B defence for the part you dispute.
Deadline and fee
Deadline: 14 days after service of the claim form, or 28 days if you first file an acknowledgment of service.
Court fee: No court fee. (EX50 fee list)
If you are on a low income or benefits you may not have to pay court fees. Apply with Form EX160, Help with Fees. Fees you do pay are added to the amount the other side owes if you win.
Work out the full cost of a claim, including the hearing fee, with the court fee calculator or see the fees for a claim of a given amount.
How to complete it
Every County Court form follows the same rules: use the claim number exactly as it appears on the court’s letters, give full names and addresses for each party, write dates in full, and sign the statement of truth in your own name. A statement of truth is a promise to the court that the contents are true, and a false one is contempt of court.
The Defence Toolkit walks you through whether to admit, part-admit or defend, and prepares the statement of means the N9A asks for so the instalment offer is realistic.
Start your defence →Questions people ask
What happens after I send an N9A?
The form goes to the claimant, not the court. If they accept your offer, judgment is entered on those terms. If they reject it, the court decides the rate of payment from your statement of means, usually without a hearing.
Does admitting mean a CCJ?
Yes, a County Court judgment is entered. If you pay the whole amount within one month of the judgment date you can apply to have it removed from the register; pay later and it is marked satisfied but stays for six years.
CourtPilot is an information and document-preparation service, not a law firm. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Court fees change; the figures here were checked against the published EX50 on 2026-08-29.