What is the surcharge?
The surcharge (often referred to as the victim surcharge) was first introduced in April 2007 and changes were introduced on 1 October 2012, 1 September 2014, 8 April 2016, 28 June 2019, 14 April 2020 and then again on 16 June 2022.
When a court passes a sentence it must also order that the relevant surcharge is paid. The amount of the surcharge depends on the sentence (see the table below) and whether at the time the offence was committed the offender was an adult or a youth (under 18 years of age), or if the offender is an organisation.
Revenue raised from the surcharge is used to fund victim services through the Victim and Witness General Fund – full list of the groups supported.
The tables below summarise the amounts a court must order an offender to pay when it passes sentence in respect of an offence committed on or after 1 October 2012.
|
Offender aged 18 or over at date of offence |
One or more offence(s) committed before 8 April 2016 |
One or more offence(s) committed before 28 June 2019 |
One or more offence(s) committed before 14 April 2020 |
One or more offence(s) committed before 16 June 2022 |
All offence(s) committed on or after 16 June 2022 |
|
Conditional discharge |
£15 |
£20 |
£21 |
£22 |
£26 |
|
Fine |
10 per cent of the fine value (rounded up or down to the nearest pound) |
40 per cent of the total fine value (rounded up or down to the nearest pound) £2,000 maximum | |||
|
£20 minimum and £120 maximum |
£30 minimum and £170 maximum |
£32 minimum and £181 maximum |
£34 minimum and £190 maximum |
||
|
Community sentence |
£60 |
£85 |
£90 |
£95 |
£114 |
|
Suspended sentence order |
6 months and below – £80 Over 6 months – £100 |
6 months and below – £115 Over 6 months – £140 |
6 months and below – £122 Over 6 months – £149 |
6 months and below – £128 Over 6 months – £156 |
6 months and below – £154 Over 6 months – £187 |
|
An immediate custodial sentence* |
6 months and below – £80 Over 6 months and up to and including 2 years – £100 Over 2 years – £120 |
6 months and below – £115 Over 6 months and up to and including 2 years – £140 Over 2 years – £170 |
6 months and below – £122 Over 6 months and up to and including 2 years – £149 Over 2 years – £181 |
6 months and below – £128 Over 6 months and up to and including 2 years – £156 Over 2 years – £190 |
6 months and below – £154 Over 6 months and up to and including 2 years – £187 Over 2 years – £228 |
|
Organisation |
One or more offence(s) committed before 8 April 2016 |
One or more offence(s) committed before 28 June 2019 |
One or more offence(s) committed before 14 April 2020 |
One or more offence(s) committed before 16 June 2022 |
All offence(s) committed on or after 16 June 2022 |
|
Conditional discharge |
£15 |
£20 |
£21 |
£22 |
£26 |
|
Fine |
10 per cent of the fine value (rounded up or down to the nearest pound) |
40 per cent of the total fine value (rounded up or down to the nearest pound) £2,000 maximum |
|||
|
£20 minimum and £120 maximum |
£30 minimum and £170 maximum |
£32 minimum and £181 maximum |
£34 minimum and £190 maximum |
||
|
Offender aged under 18 at date of offence |
One or more offences committed before 8 April 2016 |
One or more offence(s) committed before 28 June 2019 |
One or more offence(s) committed before 14 April 2020 |
One or more offence(s) committed before 16 June 2022 |
All offence(s) committed on or after 16 June 2022 |
|
A conditional discharge |
£10 |
£15 |
£16 |
£17 |
£20 |
|
A fine, a Youth Rehabilitation Order or Referral Order |
£15 |
£20 |
£21 |
£22 |
£26 |
|
A custodial sentence (all lengths)* |
£20 |
£30 |
£32 |
£34 |
£41 |
*When sentencing in magistrates’ courts to immediate custody for a single offence committed before 1 September 2014 or more than one offence at least one of which was committed before 1 September 2014, no surcharge is payable.