EX160 form (help with court and tribunal fees)

GOV.UK says to "use this form to apply for help with the fee when making a court or tribunal application". Help with fees is sometimes known as "fee remission". GOV.UK's guide is "How to apply for help with fees" (EX160A), published 19 January 2026.

GOV.UK says you may not have to pay a fee, or may get some money off, if you:

• ✓have no savings or investments, or only a small amount
• ✓receive certain benefits
• ✓receive income below a certain amount

GOV.UK's guide also says:

• ✓Only individuals can apply. This includes sole traders.
• ✓A legal representative or litigation friend can apply for someone else for fees due on or after 27 November 2023.
• ✓You cannot get help with the fee for copies of documents or searches, or with third-party fees such as transcripts.
• ✓Each fee needs its own application.
• ✓The form applies to England and Wales. The Court of Protection uses form COP44A instead.

The court or tribunal decides who gets help. RepeatForm does not check eligibility.

GOV.UK says you can apply online, or on paper with the EX160.

Online: apply when you make your court application. You get a help with fees reference number in the format HWF-XXX-XXX, which you give to the court or tribunal. If you make your court application online, you may need to apply for help with fees online too.

On paper: download and complete the EX160, or ask your nearest court for a paper copy. GOV.UK says to submit it at the same time as your court application.

GOV.UK's EX160 page offers:

• ✓Application form: EX160, a PDF of 8 pages
• ✓Application form: EX160 (large print), a PDF of 18 pages
• ✓A Welsh version of the form

GOV.UK does not list a Word version. Check the GOV.UK page for the current edition before you start.

If you use assistive technology and need another format, GOV.UK asks you to email hmctsforms@justice.gov.uk and say which format and technology.

RepeatForm works with the PDF, not Word documents. It needs a digital, text-selectable PDF. Scans, photos and handwriting are not supported.

This follows the questions on the form itself, numbered 1 to 15, with notes from GOV.UK's EX160A guide. Have your court papers and financial papers to hand. It describes what each question asks. It does not tell you what to answer.

Questions 1 to 4, about you. Question 1 asks for your name, address, optional email address, date of birth, and your National Insurance number or Home Office reference number. Question 2 asks your relationship status, single or married or living with someone. If you have a partner, question 3 asks for their names, date of birth and National Insurance number. Question 4 asks whether you have already paid the fee, and when.

Questions 5 to 7, about your case. Question 5 asks for the number and name of your court or tribunal form. Question 6 asks for your case, claim, appeal or "notice to pay" number. Question 7 asks whether the fee is for a probate case and, if so, the name of the person who has died and the date of death.

Questions 8 to 13, savings, benefits, children and income.

• ✓Question 8 asks how much you and your partner have in savings and investments: less than £4,250, between £4,250 and £15,999, or £16,000 or more. Question 9 asks whether you or your partner are 66 or over.
• ✓Question 10 lists benefits, including Income Support and Pension Credit (guarantee credit). If you receive one, the form sends you to question 14.
• ✓Question 11 asks how many children live with you or are supported financially, in each age range.
• ✓Question 12 asks which types of income you received in the last calendar month, and question 13 asks for that month's income. The form lets you give a 3 month average instead if that is lower.

Question 14, declaration and statement of truth. There is one version for the applicant or litigation friend and one for a legal representative. You sign and date it. GOV.UK warns that criminal proceedings for fraud can be brought against someone found to have been deliberately untruthful or dishonest.

Question 15, details of litigation friend or legal representative. Complete it only if one fills in the form for you: their name, address and, if applicable, firm and position.

GOV.UK's guide says to include money in ISAs and other savings accounts, bonds, lump sums such as a redundancy payout, stocks and shares (including cryptocurrency), equity in second homes, and money or property outside the UK. It says not to include wages or benefits, personal pensions or student loans. It also lists payments that are left out. Read the full lists on GOV.UK.

The limit depends on the fee. GOV.UK's guide (published 19 January 2026) gives this table:

• ✓fee up to £1,420: you must have less than £4,250
• ✓fee between £1,421 and £5,000: less than 3 times the fee
• ✓fee £5,001 or over: less than £16,000

It adds that if you or your partner are 66 or over and have less than £16,000 in savings, you may be able to get help. The online service may show different figures; check GOV.UK before you apply.

GOV.UK says income includes gross wages (before tax), net profit if you are self-employed, Child Benefit, tax credits, maintenance, pensions, rent and cash gifts. It also lists benefits that are not counted. It recommends saving paperwork or screenshots, such as payslips, in case you are asked for proof.

GOV.UK's guide (published 19 January 2026) gives these monthly income figures for a full fee remission:

• ✓single: less than £1,420
• ✓with a partner: less than £2,130
• ✓plus £425 for each child aged up to 13, and £710 for each child aged 14 or older

For part of the fee it gives less than £4,420 if single and less than £5,130 with a partner, plus the same child amounts. GOV.UK points to the EX160C calculator, and says not to send any amount towards the fee with your court application.

GOV.UK says to send the EX160 with your court application, to the address on that application, within 28 days of signing. Otherwise it may be rejected and you must make a new application. For a fee you have already paid, send it to the court or tribunal you paid. The form's last page says you can return it by post or email.

You do not need to send evidence of income unless you get a letter asking for it. GOV.UK says to reply within 28 days of the date the letter was sent, or the application is treated as abandoned and you must start again.

GOV.UK says you will receive a letter if your application is unsuccessful or needs more information. RepeatForm does not send or file anything.

Refunds: GOV.UK says you can apply for money back if you paid the fee in the last 3 months and were eligible for help when you paid it. You give your savings, benefits and income from when you paid, not now.