Why is tradey living on food vouchers?

Things got so bad that I wound up applying for NewStart Allowance at Centrelink.

I’m a self-employed tradey and my Ute is pretty much my office on wheels. One day, I had an accident which caused some serious damage to my ride. Neither of us had insurance and the other driver wasn’t unemployed so he couldn’t afford to pay for anything. 

The next six months were tough. I couldn’t take on any jobs because I couldn’t travel to see clients. I don’t have work cover insurance so I had to rely on my savings and credit cards for everything. Things got so bad that I wound up applying for NewStart Allowance at Centrelink. By that time, I was wondering how to afford food and rent.

One thing that I’ve always prided myself on is a good credit rating. Not being able to meet credit card and loan repayments were seriously stressing me out. So I called the National Debt Helpline (NDH) and they put me in touch with one of Better Place Australia’s financial counsellors. That was a turning point for me. 

After assessing my situation, the financial counsellor outlined a few steps I could take to slowly help me get back on my feet. The first thing was explaining my financial hardship to the banks and working out a three-month payment suspension. Thanks to new laws, the banks readily agreed to this. 

The financial counsellor also suggested I get in touch with emergency relief services for food and transport vouchers. I had no idea these services even existed! I got in touch with my local community information support service and the help they provided was a huge relief. 

The financial counsellor felt I should seek legal advice on compensation for damages to my Ute and gave me the contact details of free legal services. Again, I never knew such services were available. 

I was struggling with stress and depression during this time and the financial counsellor suggested I try personal counselling. I knew that would be a big help for me but I wasn’t ready to take the step yet. I was feeling a little overwhelmed with everything that was happening and I wanted to do one thing at a time. The financial counsellor supported me and gave me helpful information about seeking free psychological services when I’m finally ready. 

I’m really glad I had a financial counsellor who supported me throughout this process. I think if I’d just been given advice and left on my own, I would still be trying to get out of this mess. Things haven’t gone back to the way they were before but things have progressed and I’m feeling more in control of my life. That’s a huge deal for me.

 

Better Place Australia free financial counselling

The mission of Better Place Australia is to empower people to become more resilient, enjoy healthier relationships and support them through challenging times. When it comes to finance troubles, Better Place Australia free financial counselling is accessible if you live in one of the many funded areas across Victoria. For help, contact us today.

For more real stories about people with financial troubles and how our financial counsellors mediated for them, go to the Financial First Aid website and scroll down to Real Stories.