The Australian Red Cross are providing a small one-off emergency relief payment for people on temporary visas to meet urgent financial needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Available to people in Australia with urgent needs who:
To apply you will need evidence of your current or most recent visa and evidence of financial hardship.
Applications are made online at their website.
If you are having trouble paying bills or making repayments on a loan or debt you can ask your lender or service provider for financial hardship assistance.
Doing something about it straight away can make a big difference as the sooner you make contact the more options that are available.
The first thing to do is to contact your lender or service provider to discuss your situation and options. Most companies, banks and service providers have a hardship team that you can speak to.
If you've received notice that you are being taken to court because of a debt please seek free legal advice straight away.
For further information on how to ask for financial hardship assistance and your rights go to Moneysmart's website or the National Debt Helpline website.
If you are experiencing financial hardship, and wish to have a free, confidential and independent conversation and access to a free financial counselling service that will consider all your options for dealing with your debt and getting back on track call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 or click on the number below.
You have the right to have errors on your credit report corrected for free.
Be wary of companies offering to repair or clean your credit report. If there is an error on the credit report, you can have this fixed for free. Information that is correct, even if you don’t like it, can't be removed.
For further information on credit repair and fixing your credit report go to the Moneysmart website or the National Debt Helpline website.
For information on credit scores and credit reports go here.
If you are experiencing financial hardship, and wish to have a free, confidential and independent conversation and access to a free financial counselling service that will consider all your options for dealing with your debt and getting back on track call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 or click on the number below.
Lenders and service providers use your credit score (credit rating) to work out if they will give you credit, lend you money or provide you with a service.
Your credit score is determined by what is in your credit report such as how much money you have borrowed, how many credits applications you have made and whether you have defaulted on a payment.
You can obtain a free copy of your credit report once each year. You may have to pay if you want a copy in less than 10 days or ask for more than one copy in a year. Avoid any provider that asks you to pay for your credit score or asks for your credit card details.
For further information on credit reports, credit scores, and how you obtain one go to the Moneysmart website or the National Debt Helpline website.
If you think your credit report has an error, you can arrange it yourself for free. For more information click on the link here.
If you are experiencing financial hardship, and wish to have a free, confidential and independent conversation and access to a free financial counselling service that will consider all your options for dealing with your debt and getting back on track call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 or click on the number below.
Centrepay is a free and voluntary service to pay bills and expenses as regular payments from your Centrelink payment. It is available to anyone who receives a regular Centrelink payment and can be used to pay for many expenses for example: rent, electricity, gas, and mobile phone.
For more information on what Centrepay is, how to use it and what you can use it for, click here.
Support Act operates a free and confidential helpline service available 24/7. This service is available to anyone working in the Australian music or performing arts industry who needs to talk about their mental health.
This service provides crisis relief to artists, crew and music workers who are doing it tough. You can get help by applying for financial support if you are in crisis as a result of ill health, injury, a mental health issue, or some other crisis that impacts on your ability to work in music or performing arts industry.
For more information visit the website or call the Support Act Wellbeing Helpline on the number below
There are many different phone providers and mobile plans on offer, and choosing the right one that suits your needs can be difficult.
The ACCC website provides information on how to understand different plans, and things to consider when you are shopping for mobile phones and services. The website also provides information about consumer rights and guarantees, and how to make a complaint if you have a problem with your mobile phone service.
Visit the website, or contact ACCC via the link below.
The Higher Education Loan Program (HELP Loans) assist students to pay for course fees and other services to support them in their studies.
There are four main HELP Loans:
Eligibility for each HELP Loan differs depending on your circumstances. Application forms are only available through your education provider, who will assess your eligibility.
As this is a loan, it will be repayable when your earning capacity reaches the compulsory repayment threshold.
Visit the Study Assist website for further information or contact them via the online 'contact us' form below.
Moneysmart helps all Australians take control of their money and build a better life with free tools, tips and guides. MoneySmart was created by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC), the Australian Government's corporate regulator.
Moneysmart has information about managing your money and reducing debt. It provides tools and resources to help you do this such as a budget planner.