If a court fine can’t be paid

If someone can’t pay a fine, they should contact the court saying why they can’t pay and include proof of their financial circumstances.

If someone says they can’t pay a fine straight away, they can ask the court if they can pay in instalments. The court may or may not agree to this.

If a court fine isn't paid

If an offender has difficulties paying a fine, they should contact the court. It is important an offender keeps a court informed of any changes in their financial circumstances. They should also speak to a solicitor.

If someone doesn’t pay a fine, the court can try and get payment in other ways. These include: 

• further court hearings

• clamping and possibly selling an offender’s car

• taking money from an offender’s wages or benefits

• bailiffs coming to an offender’s home to seize possessions

 In extreme cases where a person continues to not pay they may receive a prison sentence.

Probation - what it is

Instead of sending you to (or making you stay in) prison, a court may put you ‘on probation’. You may have to do things like unpaid work and also keep in regular touch with an offender manager. Find out what’s involved while on probation.

How probation works

Offender managers supervise people on probation

While on probation, you have to follow a set of rules as part of your court sentence. For example, a court may order you to have regular meetings with an ‘offender manager’.

Offender managers supervise (manage) people on probation. They do this by helping the people they supervise to:

• identify problems in their life and get over them

• keep to the rules set as part of their sentence

• stay out of trouble

This could mean helping them to:

• complete an education or training course

• get treatment for any addictions - like drugs or alcohol

• get help with any problems with behaviour

Other rules can include things like having to complete a course to improve skills.

See ‘Offender managers - how they can support you’ for more information about how they work with you.

The Probation Service

The Probation Service is responsible for supervising people on probation and is made up of 35 local probation trusts in England and Wales.

Reasons you can be put on probation

You can be put on probation for one of three reasons:

As part of a community sentence

You may be given a court sentence to serve in the community, rather than going to prison. See ‘Community sentences - an overview’ to find out more about what this means.

If you are released from prison 'on licence'

If your prison sentence is more than one year, you are only released from prison ‘on licence’.

If you are released from prison on parole

If you are released from prison on parole (you’re released early) you are on probation.

What happens if you break the rules of your probation

You could be taken back to court if you break the rules of your probation

If you break the rules of your probation - for example, by not going to meetings or by committing another crime - you will either:

• receive a warning

• be taken back to court

Your offender manager lets the court know if you aren’t sticking to the rules of your probation.

To find out more about what can happen if you break the rules of your probation, follow the link below.