The Legal Aid Agency has confirmed that the new Submit a Bulk Claim (SaBC) portal will go live on 4th February 2026, replacing the old CWA system that has been unavailable since the cyber-attack in May 2025.
This represents a significant change to how you submit your civil legal aid billing, and there are important new requirements you need to be aware of.
Please note: We're currently working with the Legal Aid Agency to resolve a minor technical formatting issue with the bulk upload process for their new portal.
What you need to know:
We recommend holding off on uploading to the new LAA portal for a few days whilst we finalise the export format with the LAA. We're in active discussion with them and expect this to be resolved shortly.
Important: Your deadline for uploads remains 17th February, so there's plenty of time once this is sorted.
What to do:
Continue preparing your billing data as normal
Wait for our update (expected early next week) before attempting uploads
The portal launches on 4th February, but you don't need to upload immediately
We'll update you as soon as uploads can proceed.
Key Dates
Portal Go Live: 4th February 2026
First Submission Deadline: 17th February 2026 (for January 2026 claims)
Submission Window: 1st - 20th of each month (aim for early in the month to allow time for issue resolution)
Critical Changes You Need to Know About
1. Fee Codes are Now Mandatory
The biggest change is that ALL claims must include fee codes. This is a new mandatory field that didn't exist in the old CWA system.
Every claim line must have the appropriate fee code
Missing fee codes will cause your entire submission to be rejected
This applies to ALL work from May 2025 onwards, including historical unbilled cases
What this means for you: Before you can submit any billing through SaBC, you must ensure all your cases have been updated with the correct fee codes.
2. No Online Editing After Upload
Unlike the old CWA system, you cannot edit or amend claims once they've been uploaded to SaBC.
The old system allowed you to make corrections to individual claims after upload
SaBC does NOT have this functionality
If there's an error, you must correct your source data and re-upload the entire submission
What this means for you: You must ensure your data is complete and accurate BEFORE you export and upload. Double-check everything!
3. Stricter Validation
SaBC performs comprehensive validation checks when you upload your file:
Missing or incorrect information will cause the entire submission to be rejected
The system validates BEFORE calculating costs
Errors must be fixed in your source data, then the file must be re-exported and re-uploaded
What this means for you: Allow extra time for your first few submissions while you get used to the new system's requirements.
What You Need to Do NOW
Step 1: Update Historical Cases with Fee Codes
All cases from May 2025 onwards need fee codes added before they can be submitted through SaBC.
We've developed a Linked Action tool specifically to help you retrospectively update your cases with the required fee codes. Details on how to use this can be found here.
Important: Run this tool BEFORE attempting to export your billing data for SaBC submission.
Step 2: Verify Your Data
Before exporting for submission:
Check all mandatory fields are populated
Verify fee codes are correct for each claim type
Review Matter Type codes, Stage Reached codes, and Outcome codes
Ensure all data matches the LAA's requirements
Step 3: Export and Upload
Export your billing data (XML/CSV) with all fee codes included
Upload to SaBC via the SILAS portal
Review any validation messages carefully
If rejected, fix the source data and re-export (don't try to edit the file directly)
Fee Code Requirements by Category
Most categories: Single fee code per claim
Family, Immigration & Asylum, Mediation, Mental Health: May require multiple fee codes
Fee codes must correctly match your Matter Type 1, Matter Type 2, Case/Stage Level, and Outcome codes
The LAA has published comprehensive guidance including:
172-page Guidance for SaBC Claims document
Fee code mapping spreadsheets
Category-specific guidance All available at: Submit a Bulk Claim (SaBC) - GOV.UK
Common Issues to Avoid
❌ Don't export your XML without running the fee code update routine first
❌ Don't assume blank fee code fields will be ignored - they will cause rejection
❌ Don't try to manually edit the XML file after export - re-run the export process
❌ Don't leave submissions until the last minute - allow time for troubleshooting
✅ Do run our Linked Action tool on all historical cases before exporting
✅ Do verify all mandatory fields are complete before upload
✅ Do submit early in the month to allow time for corrections if needed
✅ Do keep backups of your data before making bulk changes
Need Help?
For software-specific questions: Contact our support team - we're here to help you through this transition.
For LAA policy questions: Email: [email protected]
Useful Resources:
LAA Official Guidance: Submit a Bulk Claim (SaBC) - GOV.UK
Our Linked Action Tool is referred to in the User Notes
SaBC User Guide (available on GOV.UK)
Fee Code Mapping Documents (available on GOV.UK)
Timeline Summary
Now - 3rd February:
Update historical cases with fee codes using our Linked Action tool
Familiarize yourself with the new requirements
Review the LAA guidance documentation
Prepare your January 2026 billing data
4th February:
SaBC portal goes live
Begin submitting through the new system
By 17th February:
Submit your January 2026 claims (deadline for first submission)
Final Reminder
This is a significant change from the old system. The new portal is stricter and requires complete, accurate data BEFORE upload. Take the time now to:
Run our Linked Action tool on historical cases
Review the LAA guidance
Plan extra time for your first few submissions
We understand this represents additional work, particularly with the backlog from May 2025 onwards. Our support team is ready to assist you through this transition.
Don't wait until 4th February to start preparing - act now to ensure a smooth transition.