Financial stress often comes along at the most inconvenient of times. It accompanies other very challenging life events like going through a relationship breakdown, having to move home, facing unemployment, taking on caring duties or when experiencing a physical or mental health condition. As the bills pile up, it’s very common to feel a spiralling sense of shame, dread and anxiety. We can easily feel overwhelmed and put off dealing with the added financial problem that seems far too big and difficult to solve on our own.
Thankfully we are not alone, and we don’t have to figure it out all out by ourselves. Free, confidential support is available through the National Debt Helpline (NDH).
By visiting the National Debt Helpline website or calling their helpline on 1800 007 007 you can get incredibly valuable advice and assistance, absolutely free. Services available include:
1. One-on-One Help with Debt
- NDH provides free financial counselling, by phone or online chat.
- Trained financial counsellors listen to your situation and offer advice to help you deal with debt and manage your money.
- The call is private and you don’t have to share anything you don’t want to.
- They do not lend money or sell anything.
2. Self-Help Tools and Advice
The website has articles, FAQs, and step-by-step guides for common problems, such as:
- What to do if you can’t pay your bills.
- How to deal with banks, credit card companies, payday lenders, and utility bills.
- What to do if debt collectors are calling you.
- How to handle money problems after losing a job.
3. Get Referred for More Support
If things are more complicated, NDH can connect you to:
- A local financial counsellor
- Legal aid, housing help, food or emergency support
- Mental health, addiction, or family violence services
Reaching out for help can be the single most positive step towards getting financial problems under control and alleviating some of our biggest worries. With a knowledgeable person on our side, we can develop a practical plan and make good use of many services and provisions that we may not otherwise have been aware of.
While it’s common to feel awkward about reaching out for support, the longer we go it alone, the deeper our problems can get. Inevitably, we will face more creditors, more debt and more stress-inducing problems. Anyone who has spoken with a financial counsellor will tell you what a huge sense of relief they can provide.
Reaching out for support is our oldest resilience strategy. When we do it, we quickly find that we are not alone and that people do care. In Australia, there are thousands of organisations and hundreds of thousands of people dedicated to helping others get through difficult situations.
As well as free assistance with finances, there’s free assistance available for a whole range of other challenges. Whether it is escaping family violence, overcoming addiction or even just finding a washing machine when ours is broken and we can’t afford to fix it, there are specialist services which provide just the help we need.
To connect us with the support we could most benefit from, one brilliant new website makes it simple. Ask Izzy is a free and private website that can help anyone find support services all over Australia. It connects us with things like housing, food, mental health care, doctors, financial help and everyday essentials like clothes or a hot shower.
It’s made for mobile, so it works well on your phone. And if you’re with Telstra or Vodafone, you can use it even if you’ve run out of credit or data. Just pop in your postcode, pick what you need help with, and it’ll show you nearby services with all the details. You can search without giving any personal info and even share or compare different options.
When things feel too much, knowing where to turn can make a huge difference. Tools like Ask Izzy and the National Debt Helpline are here to make that first step easier.
You don’t have to go through it alone. Help is out there, and it’s closer than you think.
Extra help
There are many more fantastic free services available when you’re feeling financial stress.
Need some extra budgeting tools and financial advice? Check out moneysmart.gov.au
Run a small business? For specialist advice and support get in touch with the Small Business Debt Helpline at sbdh.org.au or by calling 1800 413 828