What is debt?
A sum of money you owe to someone else.
The good news.
There are things you can do!
You have rights! Whether you are dealing with a:
Lenders have rules they must follow and you have rights! Find out more here.
Ursula used a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) service to buy several items for Christmas. After the holiday, Ursula saw she owed $550 to different retailers and had already missed payments to the different shops. The BNPL service locked Ursula out of her account, so she couldn’t check what was owed. Her only income was Centrelink and she and her partner both had loans and bills to pay. Ursula applied for hardship through the BNPL service, she was told they wouldn’t charge any late fees and her account was put on hold. Ursula’s BNPL debt was then passed to debt collectors, who added more fees and eventually told her she owed over $1,300 – much more than the $550 she spent.
Financial counsellors are there to help you manage your debts and get your money under control. They can help you by:
You can search the National Debt Helpline website to find your closest financial counsellor. They are free, confidential, independent and community based. They are there to help you with your financial difficulty.
Financial Rights acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional owners and celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal peoples and their ongoing cultures and connections to all lands and waters. Financial Rights acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional owners and custodians of the land on which our main office is located. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and future traditional custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware this website may contain images or names of people who have passed away.
