What does the FOI cost limit actually mean?

Freedom of Information requests are often seen as time-consuming and complex. In reality, most of the rules are straightforward once you understand how they work in practice.

One area that regularly causes confusion is the cost limit. Not because it is particularly complicated, but because it is not always explained clearly.

Understanding how the cost limit works can make handling FOI requests feel much more manageable.

What the cost limit actually means

The cost limit is a formal test applied when a request is received. It helps determine whether the time needed to locate and gather the requested information would exceed the legal threshold.

At its core, the rule is simple. When estimating the cost of responding to a request, only certain activities can be included.

These are:

•  Determining whether the information is held

•  Locating the information

•  Retrieving the information

•  Extracting the information

That is the full list. No other tasks are included in the calculation.

What does not count

It is just as important to understand what cannot be included in a cost estimate.

The following activities are excluded:

•  Reading or reviewing the information

•  Redacting documents

•  Drafting the response

•  Seeking professional advice

•  Formatting or preparing the final response

Only the process of finding and gathering the information is relevant when applying the cost limit.

A simpler way to approach it

In practice, this makes the cost limit much more straightforward than it may first appear.

A useful way to think about it is to ask a single, focused question:

How long will it take to find and pull together the raw information, before any further work is done?

If that process is likely to take only a few hours, the cost limit is unlikely to be reached.

All staff time is calculated at a fixed rate of £25 per hour, regardless of actual salary. This means a request would need to involve more than 18 hours of locating and gathering information to exceed the threshold.

With modern digital systems and search tools, this is becoming increasingly uncommon.

Why this matters

Having a clear understanding of the cost limit can make a noticeable difference to how you approach FOI requests. It removes uncertainty and helps you focus on what actually counts when making an estimate.

By keeping the rule in mind and applying it consistently, the process becomes more predictable and less stressful.

Join our FOI for local councils: obligations, procedures and exemptions training to learn more about what an FOI means for your council