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This website is designed for individual consumers to understand their rights and track their own SAR and FOI requests.

It is not intended for commercial use by organisations, companies, or professionals managing requests on behalf of others.

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FOI Deadlines Guide

When should you expect a response?

Based on the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and ICO guidance. This guide explains when public authorities must respond to your FOI request.

20 Days
Working Days Deadline
+20 Days
Public Interest Extension
Excludes
Weekends & Bank Holidays
Schools
20 school days

The Legal Deadline

The legal deadline is: 20 Working Days from the day after they receive your request

How Long Do You Have to Wait?

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, public authorities must respond to your request promptly, and no later than 20 working days after receiving it.

The clock starts the first working day after they receive your request – not the day you send it.

Example: You email a request on Friday. The authority receives it the same day. The 20 working day count starts on Monday (the next working day).

What Counts as a Working Day?

Working days are Monday to Friday, but they exclude:

❌ Weekends:

Saturdays and Sundays don't count towards the 20 days.

❌ Bank Holidays:

Public and bank holidays don't count, even if your local council is open.

Example with bank holiday: You send a request on the Tuesday before Easter. Good Friday and Easter Monday are bank holidays, so they don't count. Your 20 working day deadline will be later than you might expect.

Schools – Special Rules

If You're Requesting from a School

Schools have a different time limit. They must respond within:

  • 20 school days (term time only), or
  • 60 working days – whichever is shorter

This means school holidays can significantly extend the time you wait for a response.

Consumer tip: If you're requesting from a school, be aware that your request may take longer during holiday periods. You can still chase them up if it's been longer than 60 working days.

When Can They Take Longer?

Public Interest Test

If they're relying on a qualified exemption (like Section 36 or Section 43), they may need extra time to consider the public interest test.

They can extend the deadline by a reasonable period – usually up to an extra 20 working days (40 total).

What They MUST Tell You

If they need extra time, they must:

  • Tell you within the first 20 working days
  • Explain which exemption they're considering
  • Give you an estimated response date

What They CAN'T Extend For

The Act does NOT allow extra time for:

❌ Searching for information

They can't ask for more time just because it's hard to find. However, if searching would exceed the cost limit (£450/£600), they may refuse entirely.

❌ Being busy or understaffed

"We're too busy" or "staff shortages" are not valid reasons for extension.

Remember: If they refuse because it would exceed the cost limit, they must provide advice and assistance to help you refine your request.

When the Deadline Falls on a Weekend

If the 20th working day falls on a weekend or bank holiday, the deadline moves to the next working day.

Example: Your 20th working day is a Saturday. The authority actually has until Monday to respond. If Monday is a bank holiday, they have until Tuesday.

What If They Miss the Deadline?

They're late – now what?

If a public authority fails to respond within the time limit, they are in breach of the Act. You can:

  1. Send a chaser email reminding them of the deadline
  2. Request an internal review of their failure to respond
  3. Complain to the ICO if they still don't respond
Use our chaser template Guide to complaints

FOI Deadlines at a Glance

Standard deadline:

20 Working Days

With PIT extension:

40 Working Days

Clock starts the first working day after they receive your request

Weekends and bank holidays don't count

Extensions only for public interest test – and they must tell you

If they're late, you can complain to the ICO

Sources:

Last reviewed: March 2026. This guidance is for consumers and based on the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

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