Claiming Your Fees: Police Station Work Rates & Forms

If the attendance note is wrong, the claim bounces. This is how reps and firms keep LAA police station claims clean.

Last Revised: 1 Oct 2026 — Updated to reflect the Criminal Legal Aid (General and Remuneration) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1251), in force from 22 December 2025, and the launch of the Submit a Bulk Claim (SaBC) system on 4 February 2026. Harmonised fixed fee £320 and escape threshold £650 checked against SI 2025/1251 and CBAM Version 27; hourly escape rates from SI 2013/435 Sch 4 para 2(3) as amended by SI 2022/848.

Legal Aid Fee Structure (From 22 December 2025)

The Key Change: Harmonised Fixed Fee

On 22 December 2025, the Ministry of Justice implemented fundamental changes to police station remuneration. Previously, 245 separate police station schemes each had their own fixed fee (amounts varied by scheme and area). These regional variations have been abolished.

There is now a single, harmonised Fixed Fee across all of England and Wales:[2]

What the fixed fee covers:

• Travel to and from the station
• Reviewing custody record and disclosure
• Consultation with client
• Police interview(s)
• Post-interview liaison
• Completion of attendance notes
• All travel and waiting time

Important: The fixed fee applies to all cases with a Unique File Number (UFN) assigned on or after 22 December 2025. Cases with a UFN before this date must be claimed at the old rates.

Previous Rates (for UFNs before 22 December 2025)

For reference, cases with a UFN before 22 December 2025 must be claimed under the pre-harmonisation scheme fixed fee that applied to that police station scheme (see archived LAA scheme tables — specific amounts not re-checked on 1 Oct 2026).

Escape Fees (Enhanced Fees for Complex Cases)

The Escape Fee is a safety valve for complex cases. If the work calculated at hourly rates exceeds the Escape Fee Threshold of £650.00, the claim is the £320 fixed fee plus the hourly excess over £650 (not the full hourly total). Criminal Bills Assessment Manual Version 27 section 5.13; Standard Crime Contract 2025 Specification paragraph 9.94.[3]

Before 22 December 2025, escape thresholds varied by scheme. The unified Escape Fee Threshold is now £650.00 under SI 2025/1251,[3] so more cases may qualify for the escape fee.

How Escape Fees Work

1. Calculate your costs at the applicable hourly rates (see below)
2. Compare to the threshold: If total profit costs > £650, claim the £320 fixed fee plus hourly rates on the excess over £650. Below the threshold, claim the fixed fee only (Criminal Bills Assessment Manual Version 27 section 5.13; Standard Crime Contract 2025 Specification paragraph 9.94).

Hourly Rates for Escape Fee Calculation (From 22 December 2025)

The hourly rates used to calculate whether a case escapes are set out in Schedule 4, paragraph 2(3) of the Remuneration Regulations (as amended by SI 2022/848):[2]

Police station attendance (own or duty solicitor):

• National: £54.57 per hour
• London: £58.97 per hour

Travel and waiting (own solicitor):

• National and London: £30.22 per hour

Travel and waiting (duty solicitor):

• National: £54.57 per hour
• London: £58.97 per hour

Note: These rates are used to calculate total profit costs for the escape fee comparison. If profit costs exceed £650, the claim is the £320 fixed fee plus the hourly excess over £650, not the full hourly total (Criminal Bills Assessment Manual Version 27 section 5.13; Standard Crime Contract 2025 Specification paragraph 9.94). Additional duty-solicitor rates (unsocial hours and serious offence) are in the same schedule paragraph.

When Escape Fees May Apply

• Multiple interviews over extended period
• Complex disclosure requiring extensive analysis
• Vulnerable clients requiring additional time and support
• Remote stations requiring significant travel
• Serious offences with multiple suspects
• Extended detention beyond 24 hours

Each case is assessed on its individual merits by the LAA.

Telephone Advice Fee

Telephone advice is subject to its own fixed fee where attendance is not required.[6]

The telephone advice fee has also been updated under the 2025 regulations. The previous split between London and National rates has been harmonised.

Important: Telephone advice should only be given where it is genuinely appropriate. In-person attendance is required where necessary to protect the client's interests — particularly for serious allegations, vulnerable suspects, or complex legal issues.

Claiming Multiple Fees

The rules on claiming multiple fees remain unchanged by the 2025 regulations. The key test is whether the matters are "truly separate".

Claim Two Fees If:

• Different Occasions: Offences committed on clearly different dates
• Unconnected Matters: Arrested for Assault today, but questioned about a historic Burglary
• Separate Investigations: Matters that would not be joined on the same indictment

Single Fee Only If:

• Same Incident: Multiple charges arising from one event (e.g., Drink Drive + Assault PC)
• Linked Series: Multiple shopliftings from the same store over a week
• Multiple Interviews: Interviewed at 10am and again at 4pm for the same matter

Additional Claimable Costs

Mileage Claims

Mileage can be claimed for travel to police stations.[5]

LAA mileage disbursement: 45p per mile under Standard Crime Contract 2025 Specification paragraph 5.43 (not HMRC AMAP). Criminal Bills Assessment Manual Version 27: mileage is a disbursement and is outside the escape-threshold test. There is no drop to 25p after 10,000 miles.

Note: Travel and waiting time counts in profit costs for the fixed fee and the escape test. Mileage, where travel costs may be claimed, is a separate 45p-per-mile disbursement (Standard Crime Contract 2025 Specification paragraph 5.43; Criminal Bills Assessment Manual Version 27).

Disbursements

Certain disbursements may be claimable with prior authority from LAA.

Claiming Process

Submit a Bulk Claim (SaBC) — New System from February 2026

The LAA's new Submit a Bulk Claim (SaBC) system went live on 4 February 2026, replacing the previous CWA system (which was taken offline following the cyber-attack).[8]

Key changes:

• All monthly submissions must now be made via SaBC
• Providers upload bulkload files or case management system exports
• Claims cannot be entered individually — they must be uploaded via spreadsheet or CMS export
• The system validates claims and calculates fees automatically
• New fee codes apply to claims from 22 December 2025 onwards

Key Information Required

• Client details and UFN (Unique File Number)
• Date and time of attendance
• Police station attended
• Offence(s) investigated
• Outcome of attendance
• Time spent (if claiming escape fees)
• Correct fee code for the claim type

Submission Deadlines

• Monthly submissions are due by the 20th of the following month (the first SaBC deadline was 17 February 2026 for January claims)
• Late claims are liable to rejection unless exceptional circumstances demonstrated

Common Claiming Errors to Avoid

1. Using the wrong rate: Claims with UFN before 22 Dec 2025 must use old rates; on/after must use £320
2. Missing claim deadline: Submit within statutory time limits via SaBC
3. Incomplete forms: All required fields must be completed
4. Poor justification: Escape fee claims need detailed time records and justification
5. Inadequate time records: Keep contemporaneous time records for every attendance
6. Wrong fee code: Ensure correct fee code is used in the SaBC system
7. Escape formula: If profit costs exceed £650, claim the £320 fixed fee plus hourly rates on the excess over £650, not the full hourly total (Criminal Bills Assessment Manual Version 27 section 5.13; Standard Crime Contract 2025 Specification paragraph 9.94)

Documentation Requirements

Essential Records

• Attendance note (contemporaneous record of attendance)
• Time records (essential if claiming escape fees)
• Copy of custody record (where relevant)
• Notes of advice given
• Outcome of attendance

Retention period: Legal aid files must be retained for minimum 6 years.[7]

Audit and Compliance

The LAA conducts audits of legal aid claims. Ensure:

• Accurate record-keeping
• Claims match work undertaken
• Compliance with legal aid regulations and Standard Crime Contract 2025
• Proper supervision arrangements in place
• Correct UFN dating to determine applicable rate

Quick Reference Summary

References

[1] Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013 (as amended) — legislation.gov.uk

[2] Criminal Legal Aid (General and Remuneration) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1251) — legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/1251/made — In force 22 December 2025

[3] SI 2025/1251, Schedule 2, amending Schedule 4 paragraph 2(5) — Escape Fee Threshold harmonised to £650

[4] Legal Aid Agency Standard Crime Contract Specification 2025 — gov.uk

[5] Standard Crime Contract 2025 Specification paragraph 5.43 — mileage 45p per mile as a disbursement; Criminal Bills Assessment Manual Version 27 — disbursements are outside the escape-threshold test

[6] Criminal Legal Aid Manual — LAA Guidance on telephone advice fees

[7] SRA Standards and Regulations — File Retention Requirements

[8] Submit a Bulk Claim (SaBC) guidance — gov.uk/guidance/submit-a-bulk-claim-sabc — Launched 4 February 2026

[9] LAA Fee Uplift FAQs — Published December 2025

Disclaimer: This article provides general guidance only. Rates and regulations are subject to change. Always refer to current legislation, the Standard Crime Contract 2025, and LAA guidance. Consult your supervisor on complex claims.

Article revised: 8 February 2026 to reflect the harmonised fee structure introduced by SI 2025/1251.

Primary sources (Last checked 1 Oct 2026):

• The Criminal Legal Aid (General and Remuneration) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1251) — https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/1251/made
• LAA Criminal Bills Assessment Manual, Version 27 (October 2026) — https://www.gov.uk/guidance/funding-and-costs-assessment-for-civil-and-crime-matters#crime
• LAA Submit a Bulk Claim — Guidance for reporting crime lower work — https://www.gov.uk/guidance/submit-a-bulk-claim-sabc