NSW Residents On Centrelink Can Now Cop A 50% Discount On Fines If They’re Doing It Tough

centrelink nsw fines

The NSW government is set to halve fines for Centrelink recipients in an attempt to minimise the financial devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

As of July 1, thousands of Centrelink recipients (including those on JobSeeker and JobKeeper) will be eligible for a 50% discount on a wide range of state-issued fines.

On Sunday afternoon, the state announced that anyone who receives a Centrelink payment of some sort can apply to have their fines reduced by Revenue NSW, which might make that parking fine that ruined your day suck a little less.

The discount covers parking and driving related offences like speeding or running a red light, as well as police-issued fines like disorderly conduct or stealing.

It goes without saying, but this isn’t an excuse to drink-drive, steal or otherwise break the law. But if you’ve ever copped a nasty parking fine after an already-shitty day, you’d know just how heartbreaking it can be.

According to NSW Finance Minister Damien Tudehope, the discount is meant to ease the burden of the coronavirus pandemic and help to make the system fairer for all people.

“We know many people are doing it tough, especially right now during COVID-19,” he explained.

“These reforms will not only assist financially disadvantaged people, but also provide everyone with greater flexibility in paying their fines.”

But this doesn’t automatically mean every fine will be halved, so don’t get your hopes up just yet.

For starters, the new ruling only covers road and police-related offences, so you’re still up Shit Creek without a paddle if you’ve got court or voting-related fines.

Additionally, the discount won’t be automatically applied to every applicant. Rather, Revenue NSW will be granted the opportunity to halve fines after exhausting other options.

Other ways to “pay back” a fine include payment plans and “work and development orders” (in which you do volunteer work or treatment programs instead of financially paying for your mistakes).

“There is no automatic reduction, and providing one on such a blanket basis would not strike the right balance and risk undermining the fines system and encouraging offending behaviour,” a government spokesperson told ABC.

But they’ve also made it easier to get a payment plan, allowing residents to apply for one straight away, rather than only offering it once a fine is overdue.

To put it simply, this is the government’s way of minimising the financial burdens placed on disadvantaged people without giving NSW residents a free ride to break the law without consequence.

“These reforms strike the right balance, ensuring we hold people to account for breaking the rules and endangering our roads, but without placing undue burdens on disadvantaged members of our community,” Attorney-General Mark Speakman said.

It’s unclear exactly how many people will benefit from the 50% discount, or how this will impact the state’s revenue (of which fines contribute 35% of total revenue).

More to come.

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