Light at the end of the tunnel: Work and Development Orders and hepatitis C elimination
How Work and Development Orders can help eligible people reduce unpaid fines while accessing hepatitis C testing, treatment and healthcare.
Light at the end of the tunnel is a practical resource for health services, organisations and health professionals working with people living with, or at risk of, hepatitis C.
It is particularly designed for those who are new to Work and Development Orders (WDOs) and may be interested in becoming a WDO Sponsor.
What is a Work and Development Order?
WDOs can help eligible people experiencing financial hardship and other challenges reduce unpaid fines by taking part in approved activities. These activities include health care and treatment. In several Australian states, people can reduce their fines by around $1,000 or more a month while engaging with health services.
In some states, WDOs are called Work and Development Permits.
How do WDOs help people living with hepatitis C?
Many people living with hepatitis C face complex, competing priorities, like finding safe accommodation, food and clothing, and navigating financial and legal pressures.
Meeting such fundamental needs often means hepatitis C is rationally deprioritised, particularly because it can be asymptomatic.
Many people try to avoid the legal system, at the same time struggling with fines and debts that can contribute to losing their licence, car registration or income, and sometimes imprisonment.
WDOs are a practical tool that deliver both health and economic benefits. They can help people address several priorities at once, by enabling them to reduce their fines while improving their physical and mental health, and build greater agency and wellbeing.
WDO statistics
$3000
in fines per person could be cleared during hepatitis C testing and treatment in several states.
305000
WDOs have been approved in NSW since 2011–12, clearing more than $429 million in fines-related debt.
62%
of WDOs in NSW involved healthcare or treatment in 2024–25.
What’s in this document?
This resource explores how WDOs can support hepatitis C elimination by creating an additional pathway for people who may otherwise be disengaged from health care to access testing, treatment and other health services.
A typical course of hepatitis C treatment takes around 3 months, meaning an eligible person could clear $3,000 or more in fines while being treated and cured of hepatitis C.
The resource explains how WDO schemes operate across Australia, who may be eligible, what is involved in becoming a WDO Sponsor and how WDOs can be incorporated into hepatitis C care.
It includes practical tips, case studies and links to relevant WDO schemes, portals and resources in each participating state and territory.
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Light at the end of the tunnel
Developed by the EC Australia II Work and Development Order Expert Advisory Group, September 2026.
Light at the end of the tunnel [PDF 4.2 MB]