Struggling to Pay Court Fines? 3 Things You Can Do

If you’re worried about court fines you can’t pay, you’re not alone. Each month, over 170,000 people come to us for information about their debt problems. This article is here to help by covering key concerns like:

•  What a court fine is and why you might have one.
•  Steps to take if you can’t pay your fines.
•  How a judge decides the amount of a fine.
•  Ways to potentially reduce or write off some debt.
•  Options for appealing against a court fine.

We understand it’s tough dealing with court fines. It’s even tougher if bailiffs are threatening to take your things. Citizens Advice estimate households have around £18.9 billion in unpaid bills like council tax and utilities¹. Our team has been through similar situations, so we know how you feel. What happens if you can’t pay a fine in the UK? Don’t worry, we’ve got the answers you’re looking for.

Our advice is based on our experience. We’ll guide you through asking for a reduction, finding other ways to pay, or even getting an extension.

So, if you’re troubled by unaffordable debt, struggling to pay court fines, or just need to know more about your situation, we’re here to help.

Let’s dive into what your options are.

What is a court fine?

A fine is a penalty of money for minor crimes or “low-level” offences that the criminal courts give after a hearing. The fine typically serves as a punishment for doing something illegal or breaking the law, such as driving without a valid licence. Small fines generally do not come with prison time or probation, but large fines may or may not include a short prison sentence.

Must I pay my fines?

Failure to pay Fixed Penalty Notice and Penalty Charge Notice fines can cause the court to take further action against you, such as involving the Fine Collection and Enforcement Team. In some extreme cases, you could land in jail for failing to pay your fines, especially when you’re nonchalant about it or deliberately refusing to pay.

On the other hand, not paying your Parking Charge Notice doesn’t necessarily have any implication until the private company takes legal action against you or hires a debt collection agency.

Debt collection agencies like Lowell, Cabot, and PRA Group may offer to buy your debts from these private companies and deal with the hassle of making you pay the full debt.

What if I don’t pay?

I don’t recommend just ignoring your court fines, even if you can’t afford to pay them.

If you are facing financial hardship and can’t afford to pay your court fines, you should follow the steps that I have talked through above. This includes:

• Asking to pay in installments
• Asking to pay over a longer period
• Asking to pay at a later date.

Our financial expert, Janine Marsh, advises: ‘If a bailiff has proven you owe money and you don’t have cash to hand, you’re within your rights to suggest a payment plan. It’s not a guarantee, but many will accept this as it’s easier than repossession.

But if you just don’t pay, your situation is going to get worse.

If you have not communicated with the courts or paid by the deadline you were given, you are going to get a letter explaining the steps that the courts will take.

If you don’t respond to this letter, the court will usually instruct bailiffs to collect the debt.

StepChange found that 90% of people who have been visited by a bailiff in the last 2 years identify as vulnerable. With over 50% reporting depression and more reporting stress and anxiety².

You might get a court summons for not paying a court fine instead of bailiffs. You must go to this hearing unless you have already paid off the fine in full before you’re due to appear in court.

You can be arrested if you don’t go to the court summons. This hearing is your chance to show the court how much you can realistically pay without falling into severe financial hardship.

With this in mind, I recommend taking a detailed budget with you. This budget should go through your income and all of your outgoings.

If you are in this situation, I recommend speaking to a debt charity.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Fill out the short debt form

What does the court fine you for?

The court can fine you for any kind of crime, including minor and major offences. However, most people get fined for minor offences that fall into one of these three categories:

• Fixed Penalty Notice – which is issued for minor driving offences such as overspeeding, traffic light offences, performing a restricted turn, failing to use the seatbelt, driving without insurance, etc
• Penalty Charge Notice – which is issued for parking offences like parking on double yellow lines, refusing to pay parking fees, turning in a prohibited direction at a junction, etc
• Parking Charge Notice is not technically a fine because it’s given by a private company rather than a judge for parking infringements.

How does a judge determine fines?

Unless it’s a fixed penalty, the judge can determine your fine and also set the payment deadline by considering the nature of your crime and your financial situation.

You will get a notice of fine and a collection order with the following details after the hearing:

• The fine amount
• Payment deadline
• Payment method(s)
• The officer to contact if you’re unable to pay

Can I appeal against a court fine?

Yes. But you can appeal only in two cases:

1. If you think your fine is beyond the statutory maximum

2. If you think the court didn’t consider specific circumstances that could make you pay a lower fine.

Things I can do if I’m unable to pay

If you can’t afford a fine due to a financial situation, don’t just ignore it, as there are at least three things you can do to tackle the issue.

Court fines are very important and must be paid, or there could be consequences. Reach out to the fines officer before the payment deadline and do the following.

 1. Ask for a reduction

Yes. You can ask if you could get a reduction on your fine after explaining your situation, and you might get help via fine adjustment. The court may demand certain personal and financial information to help know how much you can afford.

2. Ask for an extension

You can ask for an extension alongside a reduction or separately. If you’re lucky to get both, it’s essential to strive toward clearing your debts before the deadline. If you don’t get a reduction, the court will usually grant an extension so you can plan your finances and clear your debts.

3. Look for alternative payment options

Another thing you can do if you can’t pay court fines is to provide alternative payment means. This could be by:

• offering to pay in instalments
• taking the fine from your benefits
• deductions from your income
• applying for a hardship order.

Paying in instalments

You can negotiate with the court, stating that you wish to pay in instalments. Also, you need to stipulate the amount you can afford to pay weekly or monthly, and the court will consider your application and communicate their decision.

If you’re granted payment in instalments and your financial situation changes (such as by loss of employment or other reasons), inform the court, and you may get further help. In some cases, the court may write off your fine, especially if it’s obvious that you can no longer pay the remaining fine balance.

Taking from your benefits

If you don’t have savings but receive certain benefits, you can ask the court to deduct the fine from your benefits. Uncleared fines can be taken from benefits such as:

• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• pension credit
• Income Support
• Employment and Support Allowance

Deductions from your income

Another alternative payment could be via your weekly or monthly earnings. You can ask the court to deduct the fine from your earnings and fill out a means enquiry form that tells the judge how much you earn weekly or monthly in order to stipulate the amount to be taken.

Regardless of your income, the court can only take a maximum of 40% of your earnings, thus leaving you with 60% or more. However, the court will often take 20% or less to avoid bringing difficulty to you.

Applying for a hardship order

If the other options don’t work and you have some money frozen in your account due to an interim bank account order, you can apply for a hardship order. This will help release some or all of your money, and you can settle your fines afterwards.

Note that the bank might charge you fees for the interim bank account order and will leave a minimum credit balance of £5.00 to keep your account open.

References

1. Citizens Advice – Debt Statistics and Bailiff Issues
2. StepChange – Creditor and Debt Collector Conduct