5 Mistakes People Make When Filing on Money Claims Online

Money Claims Online — the HMCTS portal at moneyclaims.service.gov.uk — is the standard way to file a small claims court case in England and Wales. The interface is clean enough, and they've improved it a lot since the old system. But the simplicity is deceptive.

The form asks you questions that seem straightforward ("Who are you claiming against?" "How much?") but the answers have legal consequences that aren't obvious. I've reviewed claims where people have done everything right in terms of their actual dispute — they have a strong case, good evidence, clear entitlement — and then torpedoed themselves with a filing error.

Here are the five I see most often.

This one is painfully common and it can be fatal to your claim.

If you're claiming against a person, you need their full legal name. Not the name they use on WhatsApp. Not their trading name. Not "Dave the plumber." Their actual legal name as it would appear on official documents.

If you're claiming against a company, you need the exact registered name from Companies House. "Smith's Plumbing" is not the same as "Smith Plumbing Ltd" which is not the same as "Smiths Plumbing Services Limited." Check Companies House and use exactly what's registered there.

For sole traders, you claim against the individual in their personal name, adding "trading as [business name]" — so "John Smith trading as Smith's Plumbing."

Why This Matters

A judgment against the wrong entity is essentially worthless. If you get a CCJ against "Smiths Plumbing" but the actual company is "Smith Plumbing Services Ltd," you can't enforce it. You'd need to apply to amend the claim — which costs time and money, and the court might not allow it.

I've seen people win their case and then discover they can't enforce because the defendant name was wrong. It's heartbreaking and entirely avoidable. Spend ten minutes on Companies House before you file.

The claim amount needs to be specific and accurate. Not a round number you've plucked from the air. Not "about £3,000." Not your maximum possible loss including emotional distress and time off work (small claims court doesn't award those).

Your claim amount should include:

• The actual financial loss — supported by invoices, receipts, quotes, or bank statements
• Contractual interest if your contract specifies it
• Statutory interest at 8% per annum under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 (for business-to-business claims) or Section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984 (for other claims)

Two common errors here:

Overclaiming: Inflating the amount makes you look unreasonable. Judges notice. If your actual loss is £2,300 and you claim £5,000 hoping to negotiate down, you'll lose credibility. Worse, if your claim exceeds £10,000 it moves out of the small claims track, where costs rules are different and you could end up paying the other side's legal fees if you lose.

Underclaiming: Forgetting to include consequential losses you're entitled to. If a botched boiler repair meant you had to pay for a hotel for three nights, that's a legitimate loss. If you had to take time off work to deal with emergency repairs, check whether your contract of employment means you lost earnings.

This is free money that people leave on the table constantly.

You are entitled to claim interest on debts owed to you. For most consumer claims (landlord deposit disputes, goods not delivered, services not provided), you can claim interest at 8% per annum under Section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984, running from the date the money became owed.

On a £2,000 debt that's been outstanding for a year, that's £160 extra. It's not life-changing, but it adds up — and more importantly, it signals to the defendant that you know what you're doing.

You need to calculate this correctly on the claim form. MCOL has fields for interest — don't leave them blank. State:

• The statutory basis (Section 69 County Courts Act 1984)
• The rate (8%)
• The date interest starts running (when the debt became due)
• The daily rate (claim amount × 0.08 ÷ 365)
• The total interest accrued to the date of filing

For business-to-business debts, the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 gives you 8% above the Bank of England base rate, plus a fixed compensation amount (£40 for debts up to £999.99, £70 for £1,000-£9,999.99). Always check which regime applies to your situation.

The "Particulars of Claim" box on MCOL is where most claims live or die. You get 1,080 characters (yes, that's all — they increased it from the old limit but it's still tight), and you need to fit in everything the judge needs to understand your case.

What I see constantly:

"The defendant owes me money for work done and hasn't paid despite me asking several times."

That tells the judge nothing. Compare:

"The Claimant and Defendant entered into a contract on 15 January 2026 for kitchen installation at [address]. Total agreed price: £4,200. The Claimant paid £2,100 deposit on 15 January 2026. The Defendant failed to commence work by the agreed date of 1 February 2026 and has not returned the deposit despite written demand dated 20 February 2026. The Claimant claims: (1) return of deposit £2,100; (2) interest pursuant to s.69 County Courts Act 1984 at 8% pa from 1 February 2026."

See the difference? The second version tells the judge: who, what, when, how much, and the legal basis. That's what good particulars look like.

The Formula

Every set of particulars should cover:

1. The relationship — how do you know the defendant? What was the contract or agreement?
2. The obligation — what were they supposed to do?
3. The breach — what did they fail to do, or do wrong?
4. The loss — what has it cost you?
5. The remedy — what do you want the court to order?

If you can't fit all of this into 1,080 characters, you can add "see attached Particulars of Claim" and upload a separate document. For anything beyond a simple debt claim, I'd recommend doing this.

This is the one that catches people who are angry and want to get straight to court. I understand the impulse. Someone owes you money, they're ignoring you, and you want to file immediately.

Don't.

The Civil Procedure Rules require you to follow a pre-action protocol before filing. For most money claims, this means the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims or the Practice Direction on Pre-Action Conduct. In plain English:

1. Send a Letter Before Action (LBA) clearly setting out your claim, the amount, and the deadline for payment (usually 14 days for consumer disputes, 30 days for business debts)
2. Allow time for response — don't send the LBA on Monday and file on Wednesday
3. Consider ADR — can you resolve this through negotiation, mediation, or an ombudsman?
4. Exchange information — if the defendant responds with questions, answer them reasonably

What happens if you skip this? The judge will ask whether pre-action protocol was followed. If it wasn't, they can:

• Stay (pause) the claim to allow compliance
• Order you to pay costs even if you win the substantive claim
• Take it into account when deciding whether your conduct was reasonable

I've seen claims where the claimant had a rock-solid case but got an adverse costs order because they didn't send an LBA first. The judge literally said "you would have won, but you should have followed the protocol." Painful.

The good news: sending a proper LBA often resolves the dispute without ever going to court. About 60-70% of disputes I see settle at the LBA stage. A well-drafted letter that shows you know the process and you're serious is remarkably effective.

Some quick additional points that don't warrant their own section but trip people up regularly:

• Address for service — if you're claiming against a company, you must use their registered office address (from Companies House), not a branch or trading address. For individuals, use their home address if you know it.
• Court fees are recoverable — add the court fee to your claim. If you win, the defendant pays it.
• Keep copies of everything — MCOL gives you a claim number. Save the confirmation emails. Screenshot the filing pages. Courts do lose paperwork.
• Time limits matter — most contract and tort claims must be filed within 6 years (Limitation Act 1980). Don't sit on it.
• The small claims limit is £10,000 — if your claim is above this, it'll be allocated to the fast track or multi-track, where different (and more expensive) rules apply. If your loss is, say, £11,000, seriously consider whether it's worth claiming £10,000 to stay in the small claims track.

Filing a claim isn't complicated once you know the pitfalls. Get the defendant name right, calculate your amount properly, claim interest, write clear particulars, and follow pre-action protocol. Do those five things and you're already ahead of most claimants.