CCA Request: Make Them Produce Your Credit Agreement

By the eLitigant Editorial Team · Reviewed for current forms, fees & procedure · Last reviewed: September 2026 · How we check our guides

In short

A CCA request is a written request, with a £1 fee, asking a creditor for a copy of your executed credit agreement. It is made under section 78 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 for running-account credit such as a credit card, or section 77 for fixed-sum credit such as a loan. If the creditor does not comply, it is “not entitled, while the default continues, to enforce the agreement”. That is a pause, not a cancellation, and it does not change any court deadline you already have.

This guide explains what the Act says, what the request can and cannot do, and how it fits with the court rules if a claim has already been issued. It covers England and Wales. The rule comes first, then the facts you check, then the consequence.

What the Act says

Section 78(1) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 deals with running-account credit, such as credit cards and overdrafts. The creditor, “after receiving a request in writing to that effect from the debtor and payment of a fee of £1, shall give the debtor a copy of the executed agreement (if any)”, together with a statement of account.

Section 77(1) sets out the same duty for fixed-sum credit, such as a personal loan: a request in writing and “payment of a fee of £1”.

Section 78(1A) removes the £1 fee where the request is also a request under regulation 49 of the Payment Services Regulations 2017.

What happens if the creditor does not comply

Both sections carry the same consequence. Under section 77(4)(a) and section 78(6)(a), a creditor that fails to comply “is not entitled, while the default continues, to enforce the agreement”.

Read the words “while the default continues” closely. They describe a pause. Once the creditor supplies what the Act requires, it can enforce again. A late or missing reply does not wipe out the debt.

How long the creditor has

The Act says the creditor must comply within the “prescribed period” after receiving the request and the £1 fee. That period is set by regulations, not by the Act itself: the Consumer Credit (Prescribed Periods for Giving Information) Regulations 1983 prescribe 12 working days for requests under sections 77(1) and 78(1) (SI 1983/1569, reg 2 and Schedule).

When a CCA request applies, and when it does not

The agreement must be regulated. Sections 77 and 78 apply to regulated agreements. Whether your agreement was regulated is worth checking with a free debt adviser.
Non-commercial agreements are excluded.
Repeat requests. The duty does not apply to a request made less than one month after a previous request was complied with.
Deferred payment credit. Section 77(5) excludes a regulated deferred payment credit agreement from section 77.

Agreements made before 6 April 2007

Section 127 of the Act gives the court powers over agreements that were not properly executed. Subsections (3) to (5) were repealed from 6 April 2007 by the Consumer Credit Act 2006. Schedule 3, paragraph 11 of the 2006 Act says the repeal “has no effect in relation to improperly-executed agreements made before the commencement of section 15”, which was 6 April 2007 (section 127; 2006 Act, Sch 3 para 11). For older agreements, the date the agreement was made can therefore matter. For agreements made after that date, the old subsections do not apply.

Before a court claim: the Pre-Action Protocol

The Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims applies to a business claiming a debt from an individual. Under paragraph 3.1, where there is a written agreement, the creditor’s Letter of Claim should give its date and parties, “and the fact that a copy of the written agreement can be requested from the creditor”.

If you ask for documents, paragraph 5.2 says the creditor must provide them, or explain why they are unavailable, “within 30 days of receipt of the request.”
Paragraph 4.2 says the creditor should not start court proceedings less than 30 days from receipt of your completed Reply Form, or 30 days from providing documents you asked for, whichever is later.
Use the Reply Form that comes with the Letter of Claim, and make any request for documents in writing. That starts those clocks.

If you do not recognise the debt at all, our guide to the ‘prove it’ letter to a debt collector covers that situation. To see the personal data an organisation holds about you, read “It’s on your file”: the letter that makes them prove it.

After a court claim: the request does not stop the clock

A CCA request is a letter to the creditor. It is not a response to the court. If a claim has been issued, your deadline for a defence keeps running whether or not the creditor replies. On a claim issued through Online Civil Money Claims, the response is due by 4pm on the 28th day after issue (PD 51R para 5.1(1)). On any other claim, including Money Claim Online, it is 14 days after service of the particulars, or 28 if you acknowledge service (CPR 15.4). A Money Claim Online claim is deemed served on the fifth day after issue (PD 7C para 5.7).

The court rules give you separate routes to the agreement:

Practice Direction 16, paragraph 7.3 says that where a claim is based on a written agreement, a copy “should be attached to or served with the particulars of claim”. “Should”, not “must”.
CPR 31.14 lets you inspect a document mentioned in the claimant’s statement of case. Part 31 stops applying once the claim is allocated to the small claims track (CPR 27.2).
In the defence itself, CPR 16.5(1)(b) lets you state which allegations you are unable to admit or deny, “but which they require the claimant to prove”.

What to put in the letter

Your full name and address, as they appear on the account.
The account or agreement reference.
A request, under section 78(1) (or section 77(1) for a loan), for a copy of the executed agreement and a statement of account.
The £1 fee, and a note of how it was paid.
The date. Keep a copy and proof of posting or delivery.

A caution on wording

Ask for documents. Do not describe the balance as owed, and do not offer payment in the same letter. Under section 29(5) of the Limitation Act 1980, an acknowledgment of the claim or a payment made before the six years have run restarts time for a debt, and under section 30(1) an acknowledgment must be “in writing and signed”. Once the six years have run, section 29(7) says a later acknowledgment or payment does not revive the claim. A signed letter is exactly that kind of document. You check the letter, sign it and send it yourself.

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Free help

National Debtline and StepChange give free debt advice, including on older credit agreements.
Citizens Advice can help you check your paperwork.
Support Through Court helps people facing court without a lawyer.
If a court fee arises later, Help with Fees is an online application on GOV.UK.

Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own courts and court rules, which this guide does not cover.

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

What is a CCA request?

It is a written request to a creditor, with a £1 fee, for a copy of your executed credit agreement and a statement of account. It is made under section 78 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 for running-account credit, such as a credit card, or section 77 for fixed-sum credit, such as a loan.

Does the creditor have to reply?

For a regulated agreement, and subject to the exclusions in the Act, yes, within the prescribed period of 12 working days after receiving the request and the £1 fee (SI 1983/1569, reg 2 and Schedule). If it does not, it is not entitled to enforce the agreement while the default continues (sections 77(4)(a) and 78(6)(a)).

Does an unanswered CCA request cancel the debt?

No. The Act says the creditor cannot enforce “while the default continues”. Once it complies, it can enforce again.

I have already been sued. Does a CCA request stop the claim?

No. It does not change your court deadline. File your defence on time. Separately, PD 16 para 7.3 says a copy of a written agreement should be served with the particulars of claim, and CPR 31.14 lets you inspect documents mentioned in the claim.

Can a CCA request restart the six-year limitation period?

A request for documents is not the problem. A signed letter that acknowledges the debt, or any payment, restarts time under sections 29(5) and 30 of the Limitation Act 1980 if it is made before the six years have run. After that, section 29(7) says it does not revive the claim. Keep the letter to a request for documents.

When you are ready, talk your request through with Chris. You check it, sign it and send it yourself.

Last reviewed: September 2026 · For use in England & Wales · eLitigant is a Community Interest Company (No. 16566612), not a law firm. This guide explains what the rules say; it is not advice on your case. Always check the current official source before you rely on it, and check, sign and send or file your own documents.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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