Civil System Restoration – Handling of Contingency Work
Source: gov.uk (2025-12-11)

The guides outline the procedures for handling contingency work and provide detailed explanations for specific scenarios.

Civil Billing and Average Payments

Claim Processing

The LAA is not formally applying any priority order for submission of bills. Providers and barristers should submit Payments on Account (POA) or claims as per their own priorities.

However, the LAA is recommending that providers focus on POA claims and barristers focus on Family Advocacy Scheme (FAS) and POA claims in the first few weeks of restoration of access to the Client and Costs Management System (CCMS). This is because CCMS is set up to do a lot of the calculations on these claims, meaning they can be entered into the system very quickly. The LAA will commit to processing these for payment within 48 hours of receipt of a completed POA submission, including uploading any necessary supporting documentation.

Once in, CCMS will look and function as previously, including Claim Upload functionality. Evidential requirements have not changed. For example, if a claim is submitted and is missing a disbursement voucher, it would need to be rejected for the correct evidential requirements to be provided.

Average Payments

As of the 1 December 2025, the Client and Cost Management System (CCMS) is online again for all civil users. Billing functionality has been restored.

To help providers and barristers who are unable to use CCMS to submit claims to a usual level of cash flow, the Average Payment for Civil Representation scheme will remain open for providers and barristers to opt in until 12 January 2026, with final payments to be made on 19 January 2026. The priority should be to return to business-as-usual claiming through CCMS and providers should only opt in by exception. You cannot opt in if you are able to access CCMS and submit claims to a usual level of cash flow for your business.

Opt-In Contingency Declaration 2025 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6932fbbe4bedc0e762304167/Opt-In_Contingency_Declaration_2025_v1.2__December_2025_version_.xlsx)

Detailed guidance on the recoupment schedule is available here: Contingency Recoupment Providers Guide (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/693a94e333c7ace9c4a41fee/Contingency_Recoupment_-_Providers_Guide.pdf) (PDF, 479 KB, 18 pages)

Claims Submitted Pre-Outage

Any claim submitted in full, including evidence uploaded, on or prior to 16 May 2025 has been processed. If you have a claim in this bracket that has not been paid, we are holding it to be returned to you for more information or to ensure the assessment letter is sent to the right person.

In the event you have an appeal for a reduction in costs claimed prior to 16 May 2025 that would otherwise have been in the contractual limits for appealing a decision, the LAA will honour the appeal.

Claims that were unsubmitted and in draft on or prior to 16 May 2025 will still be in the system to be picked up and completed.

Time Limits

The LAA are not putting any end-date in place for you to submit your civil claims that have built up during the outage period and no late submission penalties will apply.

For providers and barristers who opted-in to receive an average payment, the recoupments will be taken at roughly 25% of the rate the payments were made. This

Provider And Counsel Billing

The Civil Contract requires that costs are allocated to counsel ahead of counsel being paid, this rule has not changed. This ensures that there is only a single point of assessment, ensures certainty of costs for providers and barristers, and protects the client in the event of a financial interest.

The LAA will show as much operational leeway as possible for both parts of the claim to be submitted, however where counsel fees are unpaid or not submitted in time for assessment this will potentially cause rejects and delays to your claim. Detailed advice on how the system works can be accessed here: Provider Billing with Counsel – Legal Aid Learning (https://legalaidlearning.justice.gov.uk/provider-billing-with-counsel/).

Bill Reject Key Performance Indicators

The LAA’s focus is on promptly paying claims first time and our Civil Claim Fix service will remain active, however we are not currently able to produce the reports that let us manage the Civil Bill Rejects Key Performance Indicator (KPI). Once these are available, we will start to share with you again to support you getting your bills paid first time.

Summary Level Claiming

The LAA does not accept summary level claims with CCMS, except for the following scenarios:
- Your claim has been assessed at court or qualifies for assessment at court and you are sending to the LAA for assessment on a voluntary basis, provided the claim is broken down in a Bill of Costs or another appropriate breakdown.
- You are experiencing a technical issue with CCMS that is preventing the submission of a line-by-line claim and you have logged the incident through our Online Support Team: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).
These circumstances have not changed.

Paper-Based Claims

Paper-based legacy claims are managed through a system separate to CCMS, which is accessed internally by LAA only. This system remains offline and we will provide specific updates in the next few weeks.

Legal Help Escape Cases

Legal Help Escape Cases are not impacted by these changes and providers should continue as previously.

Civil Applications System Restoration Scenarios

Underlying principles

The LAA will input all decisions on items of work submitted under contingency arrangements – at present we have entered 85% of the contingency work submitted to us since 16 May 2025 on to CCMS, we will always have around two weeks of contingency work to input on to CCMS whilst Business Continuity Measure arrangements remain live. We expect to finalise the inputting of contingency work around two weeks after CCMS external restoration Please do not enter any contingency work on to the CCMS system.

Providers will input all submissions for items of work granted under delegated functions. Providers do not need to request the extended emergency time and costs limitations when inputting applications. The LAA will issue emergency certificates with 32 week and £9,000 limitations.

Systems

Please consider using the Apply Service when making an application for representation in Special Children Act, Domestic Abuse, Section 8 or Public Law Family proceedings.

All other applications and submission will need to be made through the Provider User Interface.

Delegated functions

Providers will need to submit an amendment via CCMS where delegated functions have been exercised to amend existing substantive certificates. One amendment submission can be made where delegated functions has been exercised on multiple occasions. The statement of case should record the date of those delegations to ensure certificates are issued with the correct effective dates.

Where multiple delegations have been used on an initial application, providers should record the initial use of delegated functions when creating the application and add all the relevant proceedings and scope limitations. The statement of case should record the date of the separate delegations to ensure proceedings and limitations are issued with the correct effective dates.

Providers are encouraged to use the ‘single stage’ application process where possible, submitting the emergency and substantive applications as part of the same submission. Further guidance on the process is available on the LAA Learning website: Single stage emergency application – Legal Aid Learning (https://legalaidlearning.justice.gov.uk/single-stage-emergency-application/)

Please ensure amendments are created as ‘substantive’ rather than ‘emergency’ amendments, even where you are reporting the use of delegated functions.

Submitting applications and amendments

The LAA will honour determinations to grant emergency representation under delegated functions provided the work is in scope under Part 1, Schedule 1 of LASPO and is not excluded by the provisions under Part 2 and 3.

Providers should still supply the same level of information that would normally be included with application and amendment submissions. This includes evidence of financial eligibility with initial applications, a statement of case and other supporting documents including the relevant gateway evidence where applicable.

Exceptional and Complex Cases Team (ECCT) system restoration

What to Expect When CCMS Returns

ECCT will upload granted applications, amendments and case plans on all contingency items of work submitted to us since 16 May 2025. Prior authority grants will not be uploaded; please see the scenarios below. Providers do not need to upload anything that they have already sent to us via email. Please do not submit any contingency work on the CCMS system

ECCT will resume processing the following via CCMS:

All new applications (including exceptional case funding applications)

New case plans and new amended case plans

New Amendments and correspondence relating to ongoing ECCT matters

Providers will be able to track existing cases and will receive notifications directly through CCMS on all new cases and cases already on CCMS before the outage as well as seeing notifications on contingency cases ECCT has uploaded to the system.

ECCT will continue to prioritise emergency applications and urgent matters, will conclude decision making on items of work submitted as contingency including applications for review/ appeals against refusal decisions. We will ensure continuity of service during the transition.

Recovery Timeframe and Scenarios

Our recovery plan is designed to restore ECCT operations in a phased and manageable way. Please see below scenarios that providers may face and the action that should be taken. We have not repeated the scenarios from other communication, rather we have highlighted scenarios relevant to ECCT processes. This is not an exhaustive list and if a provider has something they are uncertain about they should contact us on xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

For cases on CCMS that have not been submitted under the contingency process, ECCT will send you a document request and would ask that providers please respond to explain the current position and supply any new documents and updating information

Where applications have been submitted under the contingency process, ECCT will enter the grant decision on CCMS. Where this has not yet happened and there is a further urgent application required (for example a scope amendment), then providers can contact us using the civil fixer process CCMS Provider: Civil fixer guidance – Legal Aid Learning (https://legalaidlearning.justice.gov.uk/civil-fixer-guidance/) so that we prioritise completion of the recovery work.

Any applications submitted using the contingency process that are still in progress, will be completed offline, with the outcome communicated by email. ECCT will update CCMS as necessary when completed, where the application is granted.

Outstanding Contingency Work

During the CCMS outage, ECCT has accepted all types of work under contingency arrangements. Outstanding work submitted via contingency will continue to be processed with urgent contingency cases being prioritised. Our processing times are available on Civil processing dates - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/civil-processing-dates).

Provider follow-ups: We continue to monitor the email box for correspondence about case priority. If circumstances change regarding urgency of contingency work, please continue to use the xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) email box to enable us to prioritise our work.

Contingency Availability Post-CCMS Return

To support providers during the transition, contingency arrangements will remain available for a limited period after CCMS is restored and whilst Business Continuity Measure arrangements remain live. This includes:

Submission of urgent requests where CCMS is unavailable

Communication regarding cases where CCMS access remains problematic and/or where you have signed paper application ready to submit

For full details, please refer to our contingency guidance Legal Aid Agency cyber security incident - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/legal-aid-agency-cyber-security-incident#civil-applications-exceptional-and-complex-cases).

We appreciate your continued cooperation and patience. If you have any questions or require support, please contact us on xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

System Restoration Scenarios

Please see below potential scenarios that providers may face and the action that should be taken. This is not an exhaustive list and if a provider has something they are uncertain about they should contact us on xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

High Cost Family (HCF) System Restoration

Underlying principles

High Cost Family will upload all decisions, case plans and associated documents on all items of work submitted to us since 16 May 2025. Providers do not need to upload anything that they have already sent to us via email.

Providers should send any new case plans, correspondence and amendments via CCMS.

Please see below a number of potential scenarios that providers may face and the action that should be taken. This is not an exhaustive list and if a provider has something they are uncertain about they should contact xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).