Following a disaster, you may have trouble:
- making your mortgage repayments
- making your credit card or personal loan payments
- making business loan repayments.
This is called financial hardship.
People affected by disasters can experience both short-term and long-term financial difficulties, ranging from lost credit cards and problems accessing cash through to being unable to make loan repayments.
Your bank or credit provider must consider what’s happened to you if you have experienced a disaster. You can speak to their hardship department, or you can talk to a financial counsellor by calling the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.
If the lender won’t help, the Disaster Response Legal Service can help you with your legal options. These include making an Internal Dispute Resolution (IDR) complaint or making a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).
The Disaster Response Legal Service can also help you with financial hardship by:
- putting you in touch with a financial counsellor,
- speaking to your bank or creditor on your behalf,
- helping you make a complaint to your bank or credit provider, and
- giving you legal advice about your options.
Disaster relief and support
If you live in an area declared a natural disaster you may be eligible for financial assistance or other support from the NSW Government.
You can use the Disaster Assistance Finder to receive a personalised list of available programs and services.
Centrelink can help if you’re in severe financial hardship, including recovering from a disaster. Use the Centrelink payment and service finder to see what payments and services you might be eligible for or find out more about Service Australia's crisis and special help services.
MoneySmart has tips and tools to help you make the most of your money. They can direct you to charities and community organisations that can help with:
- one off food, transport or chemist vouchers
- rent or accommodation
- part payment of electricity, gas or water bills
- food parcels or clothing
- budgeting or referrals to other programs.
Can a financial counsellor help me?
Financial counsellors are skilled professionals. They will listen to your problems and help you with things like:
- bills or fines you're struggling to pay
- being harassed by debt collectors (see: Moneysmart's 'Dealing with debt collectors')
- gas, electricity or phone disconnection
- being evicted from your house
- car accidents with no insurance
- tax debts
Financial counselling is a free and confidential service. To find a financial counsellor near you visit the Moneysmart website.
Resources
Factsheets
Helpful websites
- NSW Government | Recovering from a Disaster
- Service NSW financial assistance
- Financial Rights Legal Centre (FRLC) | Extreme weather
- Moneysmart | Debt and credit glossary
- Moneysmart | Financial hardship
- Salvation Army Moneycare
- Mob Strong Debt Help
- National Debt Helpline
- Centrelink payment and service finder
- Insurance Council of Australia
- Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA)
- Financial Counsellors Association of NSW
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Where can I get more help?
- for legal advice about financial hardship call the Disaster Response Legal Service NSW on 1800 801 529
- to find a financial counsellor near you visit the Moneysmart website or contact the Financial Rights Legal Centre
- complete the Service NSW Disaster Assistance Finder questionnaire to receive a personalised list of available programs and services.