About The Ban No Win No Fee Campaign
Ban No Win No Fee is a campaign led by Fair Civil Justice. We have been working alongside people affected by the collapse of SSB Law for the past four years.
We launched this campaign to ban “no win, no fee” advertising for consumer claims and help build a civil justice system that puts people first.
We are calling on consumers, government, consumer organisations, regulators, ombudsman services, lawyers and businesses across the UK to support us.
What happened in Burnley
Around 1,700 households brought cavity wall insulation claims through SSB Law, a Sheffield based firm.
In January 2024, SSB Law collapsed into administration.
As a result, the claims failed. Many clients were pursued for the defendant's legal costs. Some faced bills of tens of thousands of pounds.
Many are still living in homes damaged by the insulation they had complained about.
Source: BBC News
Voices from the Campaign
I thought you just can't lose. It was explained [as] a win-win situation. But it turned out to be a lose-lose situation.
If you win, they get 25%. But if you lose [you get left with] major, major problems financially.
What was really confusing in this whole process, between the door knocker and it going to SSB, were the amount of different companies that were involved.
People have had these loans hanging over their heads for years, and whilst they are being told it's a non recourse loan… people have found there's been so little communication and very little transparency over these loans that they really still feel left in the dark.
The Scale of the Problem
Law firms continue to use no win no fee marketing throughout the UK.
Based on research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority:
- More than 2.4 million live claims across 129 firms in the SRA's 2025 review
- 107 live investigations into misconduct concerns involving 70 firms, reported by the SRA on 23 October 2026
- 54% reported problems during the claims process in the SRA’s consumer research
- Only 21% of consumers using a law firm or claims management company recalled receiving cost information at the outset
- Only 14% of consumers using a law firm or claims management company reported receiving information about potential liabilities
- Only 13% of consumers using a law firm or claims management company reported being told about a cooling-off period
Sources: Solicitors Regulation Authority, Solicitors Regulation Authority, YouGov, Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Case Study: Inside Housing Investigation
A 2026 Inside Housing Investigation reported the following in housing disrepair claims.
- Cold calling: Cold callers are impersonating council workers, to gain access to tenants’ properties. The Housing Ombudsmen also reported that their officials are being impersonated.
- Door knocking: Of 31 local authorities, which manage more than 350,000 homes, 93% of respondents had seen an increase in claims companies actively door-knocking and soliciting work.
- Exploitation of vulnerable tenants: Of the same 31 local authorities, 75% reported an increase in companies exploiting the vulnerabilities of tenants (including due to their frailty or literacy difficulties). 59% had seen an increase in companies using the local authority or ALMO’s logo or information, or staff claiming to be from the local authority or ALMO.