Revenue NSW has recently recruited new staff members as Aboriginal Customer Advisory Officer for Revenue NSW. The duties for these roles include outreach to assist both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal vulnerable clients with Fines Management and the education of Service Providers on Fines Management to assist vulnerable clients as well. Revenue NSW has options in place for organisations/service providers to assist vulnerable clients with their fines and management of their fines debt.

As part of these roles with Revenue NSW, we can do outreach to community days and events to assist the community with fines by helping on how to manage the fines, setting up payment plans, let them know of their options, presentations regarding the fines systems, WDO’s, Advocacy Hotline etc.

If you feel that it would be beneficial for one of the staff to give a Fines Management presentation at one of your Forums, meetings  please let one of us know. Please note the presentation is aimed at Managers, Supervisors and Staff of service providers and not aimed at clients.

The Fines Management presentation includes:

• Penalty Notice Lifecycle
• Payment Plans including CentrePay (Centrelink pays Revenue NSW  direct from benefits)
• Lifting of RMS (RTA) sanctions
• Fines Self Service – Set up payment plans, view enforcement orders etc on line
• Advocacy Hot line – Organisations can register to become an Advocate and get a priority hot line number for quick service
• Work and Development Orders – Eligible clients can register to work off fines while getting a life skill – can include Drug and Alcohol counselling, TAFE courses, volunteer work etc
• The advantages of becoming a Work and Development Order sponsor.

Below is some information about the WDO (Work and Development Order) for organisations/service providers, which is a non-monetary way to assist clients/customers to finalise their fines debt through courses, treatment programs and unpaid work. Attached is a factsheet with regards to becoming a registered WDO sponsor.

The Advocacy Hotline is a priority phone and email service dedicated to registered Advocates. An Advocacy team member can supply you with all the information you need to assist your client, such as ask about balances, offence details as well as obtain advice on options available to your client.

WORK AND DEVELOPMENT ORDERS:

WDO’s are a non-monetary way for customers to finalise their fines debt through courses, treatment programs and unpaid work. Work and Development Orders (WDOs) are a way to help people who can’t pay their fines and can deliver real change and community benefit by:

• allowing customers to clear their fines through courses, treatment programs and unpaid work with approved WDO sponsors
• helping clients get their driver licence back and make a fresh start.

The WDO scheme helps people who:

• have a mental illness
• have an intellectual disability or cognitive impairment
• have a serious addiction to drugs, alcohol or volatile substances
• are homeless
• are in acute economic hardship.

The role of a WDO sponsor

WDO sponsors include government agencies, non-government organisations and health practitioners. Sponsors use the WDO Self Service Portal to streamline the WDO process. WDOs can be applied for and managed through the portal without submission of paperwork.

As a WDO Sponsor, you can:

• support a customer to do activities directly through your service, or
• case manage the customer’s activities that they do somewhere else.

An approved sponsor supports a WDO in many ways including:

• working out whether someone is eligible for a WDO
• working out which activities or work they should undertake
• providing or supervising the activities or work undertaken under a WDO
• keeping a copy of all WDO paperwork
• submitting a monthly report on progress.

Types of WDO activities can include one or more:

• Unpaid work for, or on behalf of, an approved organisation;
• Medical or mental health treatment in accordance with a health practitioner’s treatment plan
• Educational, vocational or life skills course
• Financial or other counselling
• Drug or alcohol treatment
• Mentoring (mentoring option for those under 25 years of age)

To apply to become a WDO sponsor, use this link;

https://www.apps08.osr.nsw.gov.au/customer_service/wdo/sponapp.php

For an information brochure on the WDO’s, use this link;

https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/fines-and-fees/advocates/wdo-portal

The Guidelines for WDO’s;

https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/help-centre/resources-library/gf001.pdf

To find WDO sponsors in your region, use this link;

https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/fines-and-fees/cant-pay-your-debt/find-a-wdo-sponsor

ADVOCACY HOTLINE:

Revenue NSW offers a priority phone and email service dedicated to registered Advocates. You can call from 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday or you can make an enquiry through our website at any time.

• Do you have clients with outstanding Fines that need assistance to call Revenue NSW?
• Would you like access to an Advocacy Hotline that lets you call on behalf a client?

Your call will be answered right away or within a few minutes. You can expect a response to your email within five working days. A specialised Advocacy team with knowledge of Revenue NSW’s processes manage the Hotline.
 
We can supply you with all the information you need to assist your client. You can ask about balances, offence details as well as obtain advice on options available to your client.
 
There are a number of options that we can advise you on for your client including: Payment plans, Work and Development Orders, going to Court, postponing the debt or asking for the debt to be written off.
 
You can enquire about lifting any RMS (previously RTA) sanctions attached to the client’s debt.
 
For an Information Brochure on the Advocacy Hotline, use this link:
https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/fines-and-fees/advocates
 
To Register an ADVOCATE, use this link;
https://www.apps08.osr.nsw.gov.au/customer_service/forms/advocacy/registration

For all Revenue NSW information, use this link;

https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/