Free Letter Guides

Why Putting It in Writing Changes the Outcome

Most disputes that get resolved get resolved in writing, early, before anyone goes near a tribunal or a court. A clear letter does three things a phone call cannot: it creates a dated record, it forces the other side to respond in a form they can be held to, and it signals that you know the process.

This library holds free letter guides covering employment, housing, consumer, benefits, health and safety, and family situations. Each one explains in plain English what to include and how to send it, and has a fill-in letter template you can copy and change.

What Makes a Letter Work

The letter guides follow a structure that tends to get better results than an angry email. State the facts in order, with dates. Say which right or obligation you are relying on. Say exactly what you want to happen. Give a reasonable deadline for a reply — fourteen days is standard and hard to argue with. Keep it short.

What to leave out matters just as much. No threats you are not prepared to follow through on, no accusations you cannot evidence, and no emotional argument. The calmer the letter, the harder it is to dismiss.

Send It So You Can Prove You Sent It

Keep a copy of everything, and send by a method that gives you a record — email with a read receipt, or post with proof of delivery for anything serious. A letter you cannot prove you sent is a letter that did not exist, and that becomes very important if the matter ever reaches a tribunal or court.

Letters and Deadlines

Writing a letter does not pause a legal deadline. Employment tribunal claims still run to six months less one day from the act complained of in England, Wales and Scotland where the act was on or after 1 October 2026 (three months less one day for earlier acts, and for most claims in Northern Ireland). Benefits Mandatory Reconsiderations still run to one month. If a limit is approaching, send your letter and start the formal process in parallel rather than waiting for a reply that may never come.

Working Out Which Letter You Need

If you are not sure which situation you are actually in, read the relevant guide first. It explains the framework that applies and links to the letter guides that go with it, each with a free template.

For complex or high-value disputes, get advice before sending anything. ACAS on 0300 123 1100 for employment, Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848 otherwise.

General rights information, not legal advice.

Further reading: our blog explains how to structure a formal letter that actually gets a response.