Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2018 to Question 136859 on Small Claims: Electronic Government, where his Department has established a telephone helpline for claimants to contact to discuss those cases.

A telephone helpline has been established for claimants and defendants who require assistance with the money claims process. This helpline is supported by Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) staff based in the County Court Business Centre in Northampton.

A press release advertising the launch of this new service on Gov.uk was published on the 6 April, and sent to key media outlets. In addition, Susan Acland-Hood, HMCTS Chief Executive Officer, wrote to key stakeholders, and I wrote to the Chair of the Justice Select Committee to inform the Committee of the new service.

The new Online Money Claims Service allows Litigants in Person to issue, respond and settle claims for under £10,000 online. Existing Money Claims Online users can also use the new service to issue new claims. 90% of users of the new system are satisfied or highly satisfied.

The telephone service has been fully operational since 26 March 2018. Service performance and call volumes are constantly monitored to ensure resources are allocated to match demand.