Court debts and fines

Court fines for criminal offences are serious. Courts have many powers to collect fines. In some cases, you can go to prison for not paying.

You must go to a court hearing you are asked to attend.

Make sure you take details of your financial situation with you, like:

• Your income
• Your essential living costs

They can take this into account when they decide:

• How much to fine you, and
• The rate you should pay

The court may set a higher fine than you can afford if you do not attend. This can be hard to change.

What should I do if I cannot afford a court fine?

Contact the fines officer at the court if you cannot afford the fine. Ask for a reduction in your payments.

• Try to do this this before you miss a payment
• The court can take further steps to collect the fine if you miss payments

Need help with court debts?

What happens if I do not pay my fine?

The consequences of not paying can be serious.

The court has different powers to collect unpaid fines depending on where you live in the UK.

Common methods include:

England and Wales

• A set amount is taken weekly from some types of benefits
• Your employer sends a percentage of your wage to the court
• Bailiffs (enforcement agents) visit your home to remove and sell goods
• Your fine is added to a public register and appears on your credit file
• The court orders you to carry out unpaid work in the community
• You can be sent to prison as a last resort

For some types of debt, lenders can take money from your wages using court orders like:

• An 'attachment of earnings', or
• A 'direct earnings attachment'

Scotland

• A set amount is taken weekly from some types of benefits
• Your employer sends a percentage of your wage to the court
• Money is taken from your bank account using an earnings arrestment
• Your vehicle can be clamped and towed
• The court orders you to carry out unpaid work in the community
• You can be sent to prison as a last resort

Northern Ireland

Prison is the main penalty for not paying court fines. Many options in other UK countries are not available in Northern Ireland.

There are plans to bring in other options. This will hopefully reduce the amount of people sent to prison for unpaid court fines.

Can I go to prison for not paying my fine?

It is possible to be sent to prison if you do not pay a court fine. This is a last resort for people who are ignoring or trying to avoid payment.

The court could decide to give you 'suspended committal to prison'. This gives you one last chance to pay the fine and avoid prison.

You must let the court know if you are finding it hard to afford the payments.

It is not likely you will be sent to prison if:

• It is clear you are not ignoring the fine
• You are making every effort to pay what you can

We can help you work out what you can afford to pay. Get in touch with us for free, impartial debt advice.

You can also use our online debt advice tool for practical advice and solutions to deal with your debts.