Vinnies – National Debt Helpline

Vinnies operates the National Debt Helpline in Western Australia. Trained financial counsellors provide free advice to help move on. If the matter is complex, they can refer to the closest face to face financial counselling service.
  • Hours
    Monday - Friday 9:30am - 4:30pm
  • Phone 1800 007 007
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Uniting WA

Family violence
Paying the costs of moving to safety.
The Escaping Violence Payment (EVP) Program is available for people 18+ who have recently experienced family violence, have a changed living situation and are experiencing financial stress.
Please go to the Uniting WA website for more information. 
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Australian Red Cross – Family and Domestic Violence Program – Migration Support

The Family and Domestic Violence program is available to all people on temporary visas or with uncertain visa status, experiencing family and domestic violence and in need of financial support. Under the year-long pilot program, we will be providing up to $3,000 in financial assistance to people who are eligible to help cover expenses such as accommodation, food, and medical care.
 
You can apply online.

If you need support to complete your application, you can download a step-by-step guide. 

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Your Toolkit

The Financial Toolbox Women provides support to women and their children facing, or having faced, domestic violence and/or financial abuse. The Your Toolkit team does not provide direct support to individuals, but the website provides details for contacting  support services and help lines and women’s refuges.
 
The website includes information on: 
• Checklist of documents you need to take with you when leaving a relationship 
• How can your bank or financial advisor help if you are preparing to leave?
• Centrelink support payments and services
• Financial assistance for living costs
• Tenancy Information and Laws
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WAConnect

WAConnect is a free directory for service providers, and people looking for assistance. Users can search for food relief, financial counsellors, and emergency accommodation, among other services, and get a list of services that can provide assistance in the location that is convenient.
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Services Australia – Crisis Payment

A one-off payment if you’ve experienced an extreme circumstance and are in severe financial hardship.
 
To get any of these payments, you must meet all of the following:
 
• Be in severe financial hardship
• Get, or, be eligible for an income support payment or ABSTUDY Living Allowance
• Be experiencing an extreme circumstance.
To be eligible, you must be experiencing 1 of the following:
• You or someone you’re caring for are required to quarantine or self-isolate due to COVID-19
• You’ve experienced an incident of family and domestic violence
• You’ve had to leave your home because of a natural or other disaster not covered by a disaster relief payment
• You’ve arrived in Australia as a Humanitarian Entrant for the first time
• You were released from prison or psychiatric confinement.
  • Hours Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm
  • Phone 132 850
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Services Australia – Farm Household Allowance

A payment for farming families in financial hardship. To get this you must:

  • be a farmer or partner of a farmer, who spends a major part of your time and capital, working on the farm
  • meet the income and assets test limits
  • meet mutual obligation requirements. To get Farm Household Allowance (FHA) you must meet all the following:
  • be a farmer or partner of a farmer
  • be 16 years or older
  • contribute labour and capital to an Australian farm, or are the partner of a farmer who does
  • have income and assets below certain amounts
  • have had less than 4 years of FHA in the specific 10-year period.
  • Hours Monday-Friday 8:00am-8:00pm
  • Phone 132 316
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Rural West

Rural Financial Counselling Services WA (RFCS WA) services are available to:

  • All types of farming including livestock, grain, fruit and vegetables
  • Professional fishing
  • Forestry
  • Small rural businesses that support these industries, such as fencing, harvesting, spraying or stock management contracting.
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No Interest Loan Scheme

No Interest Loans (NILS) provide individuals and families on low incomes with access to safe, fair and affordable credit.
 
Loans are available for essential goods and services such as fridges, washing machines, car repairs and medical procedures for up to $1,500. Repayments are set at an affordable amount over 12 to 18 months.
 
Am I eligible?
• I have a Health Care Card / Pension Card or earn less than $45,000 a year after tax ($60,000 for couples or people with dependants)
• I have lived at my current or previous address for at least 3 months
• I can show that I have a capacity to repay the loan
  • Phone 13 64 57
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National Debt Hotline

National Debt Helpline is a not-for-profit service that helps people tackle their debt problems. Their professional financial counsellors offer a free, independent and confidential service. 
 
The website provides information on:
• Your rights
• Risk of using credit
• Managing your debt
• Seeking extra funds
• Extreme financial difficulties 
 
Live chat with a financial counsellor Weekdays 9:30am – 4:30pm. You can send a message outside these hours and a financial counsellor will get back to you.
 
  • Hours
    Monday - Friday: 9:30am - 4:30pm
  • Phone 1800 007 007
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MoneySmart

We’re committed to helping Australians of all ages, backgrounds and incomes to increase their financial well-being and build a better life. The website provides guidance on:
 
• Banking and Budgeting
• Loans, Credit and Debt
• Investing and Planning
• Super and Retirement
• Insurance
  • Phone 1300 300 630
  • Phone 2 03 5177 3999
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CWA of WA Sir James Mitchell Fund

The Sir James Mitchell Fund is used to assist those who may need a helping hand. Applications for assistance are considered on an individual basis and are completely confidential. Assistance is in the form of IGA food cards, health expenses and other general assistance. It does not assist with whitegoods, rental bonds and arrears, utility bills (electricity, gas, water etc), car registration/maintenance, travel or funeral expenses.

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Citizens Advice Bureau

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) provide information and referral, a low-cost legal advice service on a wide range of issues, and a mediation service.

Their services include:

  • Free information on a wide range of issue
  • Low-cost Legal Advice
  • Low-cost mediation and dispute resolution
  • Free Tax Help (July – October)
  • Assistance with WA NILS (No Interest Loan Scheme) Applications
  • Justice of the Peace
  • Probate Assistance
  • Preparation of Family Court documents
  • Letters of Administration
  • Wills
  • Enduring Powers of Attorney
  • Enduring Powers of Guardianship
  • Hours Monday - Friday 9:30am-4:00pm (excluding public holidays)
  • Phone (08) 9221 5711
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Australian Government – Services Australia

Support through payments and services while you are looking for work or doing approved studies to help you find and keep a job.

  • Hours Monday-Friday 8:00am-8:00pm
    Saturday-Sunday 9:00am-5:00pm
  • Phone 132 850
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Quick Exit
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Over the past two years DVassist has been offering a telephone and webchat counselling service as part of a pilot project funded by the Commonwealth Government.

The project is now complete and consequently our counselling services are no longer operating as of Friday 21 October 2022.

For 24-hour confidential information, counselling and support for family and domestic violence please call
1800 Respect on 1800 737 732.

For crisis support, including referrals to women’s refuges, please call Women’s Domestic Violence Helpline on
1800 007 339.

If you are in immediate danger
please call 000.

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