![Managing money during COVID-19 teaser]()
30 Mar 2020
The protective measures put in place around COVID-19 have understandable health motives, however have resulted in the shutdown of many small to medium businesses and the loss of thousands of jobs in Western Australia.
An uncertain financial future can be an incredibly worrying prospect but the Government and other organisations have put measures in place to help you ensure that you are as financially stable as possible. For links to all useful websites, please scroll to the bottom of this page.
If you are in urgent need of financial support
The Government has put in place some measures to help those who need it the most, including Centrelink payments, finance for small businesses and access to Super. For further information of what you could be eligible for and how to access these payments, please visit treasury.gov.au/coronavirus
Be aware of scams
Sadly, even in times like these there are people trying to steal money from those who need it the most. Please be aware of scammers who will try to take advantage of our communities’ financial worry at this time and be wary of offers to assist you with access to your superannuation or high-return investment opportunities. For advice on how to spot a scam, please visit https://moneysmart.gov.au/banking/banking-and-credit-scams
List your debts to know where you stand
Finding out and listing how much you owe and to whom, is a vital first step. A number of companies have put measures in place to help those struggling with debt because of COVID-19. If you have debt, such as credit cards and loans, call up your providers and explain to them you are struggling to make payments. For further support call the National Debt Helpline: 1800 007 007 (Monday to Friday 9.30-4.30) or visit https://financialcounsellors.org/i-cant-pay-my-debts/
Explore what refunds you are eligible for
With the cancellation of flights and events, and the closure of regular payment services such as gyms and delivery services, you may be eligible for a refund or credit to use at a later date. Please do remember that many businesses are struggling to manage cancellations at this time, so if possible contact the business by email or website, rather than by phone. These are very complex issues and smaller businesses may take a lot longer to respond. For consumer advice on this, visit https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees/covid-19-coronavirus-information-for-consumers
Get advice for mortgage payments
There is help available to those struggling with home loan repayments and the earlier that you get this help, the better. All lenders have hardship teams to help their customers and some banks are offering 6 month repayment deferrals. Phone your bank and see if they can help and if you do receive a default notice, do not ignore it. For further information on mortgage help, visit https://www.finder.com.au/missing-mortgage-repayments
Get your bills under control
Being unable to pay your electricity, gas, phone or water bill can cause you even more financial stress however most energy and phone providers have some sort of financial hardship program in place. In addition, many have come out with specific responses to COVID-19 so check your provider’s website for further information or call their customer service team to discuss an extension to pay, paying in instalments, Centrelink deductions or a utility rebate or voucher. If you do not contact your provider, they may disconnect your service. For further details visit https://ndh.org.au/Debt-problems/Electricity-gas-and-water-bills/
For further financial advice during this time, please visit the following websites and remember, if you are worried and need someone to talk to, there is always someone at Lifeline’s 13 11 14.
General COVID-19 Financial advice
https://moneysmart.gov.au/
Debt help: https://financialcounsellors.org/i-cant-pay-my-debts/
Car repayment advice: https://mycar.legalaid.wa.gov.au/CantPayMyCarLoan.htm
Steps to get your utility bills under control: https://ndh.org.au/Debt-problems/Electricity-gas-and-water-bills/
If you miss a mortgage repayment: https://www.finder.com.au/missing-mortgage-repayments
If you are struggling with rental payment: http://www.tenancywa.org.au/common-problems
Budgeting and managing your money: https://financialcounsellors.org/my-debts/managing-my-money/
Find a financial counsellor: https://financialrights.org.au/self-help-centre/financial-counsellor-search-tool/
National Debt Helpline: 1800 007 007 Monday to Friday 9.30-4.30
Concessions WA is an easy-to-use online resource where you can search by category, concession card type or people group to find details on more than 100 rebates, concessions and subsidy schemes provided by the Government of WA: https://concessions.communities.wa.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx
Early access to your Super: https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Super/Withdrawing-and-using-your-super/Early-access-to-your-super/
Links to Hardship Information from Australian Banks.
P&N Bank www.pnbank.com.au/help-support/contact-us/financial-hardship/
https://www.pnbank.com.au/about/news/2020/covid-19-updates/
13 25 77
ANZ https://www.anz.com.au/about-us/sustainability/financial-hardship/
1800 252 845
CBA https://www.commbank.com.au/support/financial-difficulty.html?ei=hp-sup-c2-p1-findiff
13 30 95
NAB https://www.nab.com.au/personal/help-and-guidance/financial-hardship
1800 701 599
Westpac https://www.westpac.com.au/about-westpac/sustainability/initiatives-for-you/customers-financial-hardship/
1800 067 497
Bendigo https://www.bendigobank.com.au/help/financial-difficulty-assistance/
1300 652 146
ME https://www.mebank.com.au/support/financial-hardship/
13 15 63
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