In England and Wales, the small claims court limit is £10,000 for most disputes including unpaid invoices, contract breaches, and debt recovery. However, personal injury and housing disrepair claims have a lower £1,000 limit, while other costs like medical bills or lost wages fall under the standard £10,000 limit.
Claims exceeding £10,000 move to fast track (£10,000-£25,000) or multi-track (over £25,000) courts, which require legal representation, higher fees, and more formal procedures. You cannot split a single debt into multiple claims to stay within the limit: courts will reject artificially divided claims. When calculating your total claim, remember it includes the original debt, statutory interest (8% per year) and late payment charges.