Preparing financially
If you're struggling to make repayments
Free help exists, and lenders have hardship obligations — what to do, and why early contact matters.
- Free, independent financial counselling is available through the National Debt Helpline.
- Lenders generally have hardship obligations to consider requests like a temporary repayment reduction or pause.
- Contacting your lender early, before missing a repayment, generally preserves more options.
Free help exists
If repayments become genuinely difficult, free, independent financial counselling is available through the National Debt Helpline (National Debt Helpline (funded by state/territory governments), verified 29 Jul 2026) — not a service tied to any lender, and not the same as a paid financial adviser (see the financial-counselling guide).
Lender hardship obligations
Australian lenders generally have obligations to consider a hardship request — for example, a temporary repayment reduction, pause, or loan-term adjustment — if you're experiencing genuine financial difficulty. Contacting your lender's hardship team directly, early and before missing repayments, generally gives more options than waiting until you're already behind.
Practical checklist
If repayments are becoming difficult
- Contact the National Debt Helpline for free, independent advice
- Contact your lender's hardship team directly and early
- Gather your income, expense and debt details before either call, to make the conversation efficient
Questions for a professional
- What hardship options are available to me given my specific situation?
- How would a hardship arrangement affect my credit report?
Official resources
Sources and methodology
- National Debt Helpline — National Debt Helpline (funded by state/territory governments) (retrieved 29 Jul 2026)
Figures on this page are drawn from Delora's local knowledge graph, refreshed from these primary sources and checked for changes on a regular schedule. If a figure here looks out of date, the official source above is always the authority — please let us know.