What happens when the cost limit is exceeded?
Where you estimate that the limit will be exceeded you are not obliged to comply with the request and should inform the applicant by way of a Refusal Notice. As part of the duty to provide advice and assistance to applicants, you should consider explaining what, if any, information could be provided within the cost limit and advise the applicant that they should consider narrowing down their request. You may be willing to provide the information even where the cost exceeds the limit if the applicant is willing to pay the full costs in dealing with the request. You can also decide to provide the information free of charge, despite the application of the appropriate limit if you wish.
A. Where we estimate that the limit will be exceeded we are not obliged to comply with the request and will inform you by way of a refusal notice. As part of our duty to provide advice and assistance to applicants, we will explain what, if any, information could be provided within the cost limit and advise the applicant that they may wish considering narrowing down their request.
