Following a disaster, you may have trouble:
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:
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:
Financial counsellors are skilled professionals. They will listen to your problems and help you with things like:
Financial counselling is a free and confidential service. To find a financial counsellor near you visit the Moneysmart website.