5 Fiscal work orders

(Tables 1, 4 & 5)

Key statistics for 2024-25:

• Fiscal work orders commenced fell from 100 in 2023-24 to 40 in 2024-25. This was the lowest in ten years.
• Sixty-five per cent of fiscal work orders commenced in 2024-25 were for males.
• Around 38 per cent of orders commenced were for people aged between 31 and 40.
• Of those known, just under half were reported as being unemployed.

Fiscal work orders (FWOs) allow Procurators Fiscal to offer unpaid work orders as an alternative to prosecution. These orders range from 10 to 50 hours and must be completed within six months.

Chart 2: Fiscal work orders have declined since 2017-18.

Number of fiscal work orders commenced, 2015-16 to 2024-25, Scotland

In 2024-25, there were 82 fiscal work order assessments undertaken by local authorities. In 37 of these assessments (45 per cent), the orders were accepted with the remaining 45 (55 per cent) deemed unsuitable by local authorities. 2024-25 is the second year in which the number deemed unsuitable exceeded the number accepted. The number of orders which finished was 50, of which 66 per cent were successfully completed.

People given FWOs have been getting older in the last five years. In the years 2015-16 to 2019-20, 57 per cent of orders commenced were for people aged 25 and under, while 31 per cent were aged 26 to 40. This contrasted with the position in 2024-25, when 28 per cent were aged 25 and under and 48 per cent were aged 26 to 40.

People have generally been getting longer FWOs in recent years compared with previously. Sixty-five per cent of FWOs imposed in 2024-25 were for 40 hours or more, compared to 29 per cent in 2015-16.