£15 extra on car fines to help victims of domestic violence and sex attacks

Drivers who are found guilty of minor motoring offences face a £15 surcharge to help victims of domestic violence and other violent crime. Details of the new tax were slipped out before Christmas in a Parliamentary answer. The “victims’ surcharge” will be added to fixed penalty tickets given out by police.

Anyone who breaks parking regulations, contravenes a stop sign or speeds will be forced to pay the penalty. It could also be levied when a vehicle has dirty windows. Ministers say that they want to extend the payment to all types of fixed penalties. At present, only errant motorists who are fined in court for more serious offences are liable to pay the surcharge.

In the Parliamentary reply, Claire Ward, the Justice Minister, said: “It is government policy that, where possible, offenders should contribute to victims’ services as part of their reparation. Provisions were therefore included in the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 providing for a surcharge to be payable on criminal convictions, penalty notices for disorder and on fixed penalty notices for road traffic offences where the offences are persistent and serious.



“The victim surcharge has been applied initially only to fines imposed in magistrates and Crown Courts at a rate of £15. We intend to add the surcharge to other disposals as soon as it becomes feasible. Proceeds raised from the surcharge provide a ring-fenced source of funding for a wide variety of organisations providing non-financial support to victims and witnesses of crime.”

Under the new regime, the minimum fine of £60 for speeding or not wearing a seat belt would rise to £75. And a “penalty notice for disorder” for drunkeness, criminal damage and shoplifting would increase from £80 to £95. Many motoring offences would attract the new levy. These include having a tyre with insufficient tread and having windscreen wipers which fail to conform to regulations.

Matthew Elliott, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “If the Treasury wants to raise money from the courts, it should be more honest and call this surcharge a ‘justice tax’. By calling it a ‘victims’ surcharge’ and applying it to minor motoring offences and parking tickets where there are clearly no victims, the Government is making a mockery of the tax system. This is clearly another stealth tax designed to plug Britain’s huge debt.”