For 24/7 crisis support please call Lifeline

13 11 14

Financial difficulties

In the hustle and bustle of life, we often find ourselves juggling various financial responsibilities, and it’s no secret that money and bills can cause a lot of stress. If you’re feeling the weight of financial challenges, know that you don’t have to go through it alone. Our directory includes community-led organisations that focus on providing financial support services.

Navigating our Service Directory is straightforward and user-friendly. Simply browse through the categories that align with your current challenges or explore different options to see what resonates with you. Each listing provides valuable information about the organisation, its services, and how to connect with them. You have the flexibility to choose services that fit your preferences – whether it’s location, type of support, or the challenge you are facing.

Our Service Directory is continually updated and expanded, ensuring that you have access to the latest and most relevant support services available. If you wish to have your service added, please click here.

If you, or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 000, visit your nearest hospital or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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Illawarra-Shoalhaven Men’s Homelessness Support Service

Locations: Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, Shoalhaven, Nowra

This service provides integrated support to single men over 25 years of age who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and links them to a range of services. It focuses on providing early intervention responses through outreach to men in the community, as well as providing crisis and transitional accommodation, and intensive responses for men with complex needs, including men who are sleeping rough. Men are assisted to access and maintain stable accommodation.

 Website   (02) 4423 3558   Free

Lifeline Northern Beaches – Counselling and Support Groups

Locations: Balgowlah

Lifeline Northern Beaches provides low-cost face-to-face counselling and support groups for anyone aged 15+ on Sydney’s lower north shore and northern beaches. Support services include: Crisis Support, Face To Face Counselling, Financial counsellingSupport groups and Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme.    

 Website   13 11 14   Free

Mantle Health

The Mantle Program supports men to be better partners, fathers, brothers, colleagues, leaders, and friends, and to improve mental health outcomes for men and those around them. Mantle provides professional and one-on-one psychological support through a secure and discreet video telehealth service.

 Website   1300 646 753   Costs may be involved

OMNI (Older Men New Ideas)

Locations: Wagga Wagga, West Wyalong, Tamworth, Tomaree (Nelson Bay), Holbrook, Griffith

OM:NI is for men aged over 50. OM:NI groups create safe male-only sharing experience to help members reduce loneliness, address issues that affect their lives, and enhance their health, wellbeing and lifestyle in retirement.

Local groups generally meet fortnightly. You can search for local groups online and how to make contact with organisers.



 Website   Free

OzHelp

OzHelp works with the government, blue collar workplaces, corporate partners, and the community to provide mental health and wellbeing support and training services to high risk, hard to reach industries that are most at risk of suicide. OzHelp provides 24/7 phone support and free counselling to workers in the building and construction industry and their families.

 Website   Building and Construction: 1300 694 357 Transport and Logistics: 1800 464 327   Free

Penrith Men’s Walk and Talk

Locations: Penrith

Just a bunch of knockabout locals who get together every Thursday evening for a walk and talk.

 Website   Free

13YARN

13YARN is the first national service of its kind for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people in crisis. We offer a confidential one-on-one over the phone yarning opportunity and support with a trained Lifeline Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter for mob who are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping.

 Website   13YARN on 13 92 76   Free

Ahead for Business from Everymind

Ahead for Business has online resources supporting the mental health of small business owners and their staff. Online resources include:
  • a Small Business Stress Test
  • Agribusiness Wellbeing Plan
  • Business Wellbeing Online Training
  • podcasts, videos and resources for industries and local communities.


 Website   Free

Anglicare North Coast Financial Counselling

Locations: Grafton, Richmond, Tweed Heads

FREE Financial Counselling from a Financial Counsellor accredited with the Financial Counselling Association of NSW (FCAN). Anyone who is experiencing financial difficulties can access the service. The service is available by appointment only. Call the Grafton office on 02 6643 4844 to make an appointment. Other services offered by Anglicare North Coast include housing and accommodation support, disaster recovery and food pantry.

 Website   02 6643 4844   Free

Australian Financial Complaints Authority

AFCA provides fair, free and independent dispute resolution for financial complaints. They consider complaints about:
  • Credit, finance and loans
  • Insurance
  • Banking deposits and payments
  • Investments and financial advice.


 Website   1800 931 678   Free

Blue Sky Community Services

Locations: Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, Nambucca, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Taree, and the Great Lakes

Provides an emergency relief program to help those at risk of critical financial hardship. They will help you budget, connect you with other services, and/or provide food and petrol vouchers, whilst encouraging your financial capacity building.

 Website   Free

Canberra City Care

Canberra City Care provides practical help for people experiencing financial hardship. The community hub offers low-cost food, clothing, IT equipment and debt management to around 300 families every week. It is a community outreach service of Life Unlimited Church (LifeUC) and works with community organisations within the ACT, including SydneyCare, OzHarvest ACT and SecondBite.


 Website   Free

Financial Counselling Hunter Valley Project

Funded by the Office of Fair Trading NSW and Department of Community & Justice, Financial Counselling Hunter Valley Project provides a free financial counselling service to the Upper and Lower Hunter. All the financial counsellors are qualified and accredited members of the Financial Counselling Association of NSW & Financial Counselling Australia. They assist with referrals, exploring options to manage debt, developing budget skills and provide advocacy with creditors and other agencies.

 Website   Free

Financial Rights Legal Centre

The Financial Rights Legal Centre is a community legal centre, specialising in financial services, particularly in the areas of consumer credit, banking, debt recovery and insurance. They offer advice and advocacy for people in financial stress. If you are struggling to pay the bills or already behind with your loans, you are not alone. There are online fact sheets and sample letters, with options to manage your debts.

 Website   Free

Headstart

Locations: Central and Eastern Sydney, South Western Sydney, Western Sydney

Directory of local service providers and health professionals in Central and Eastern Sydney, South Western Sydney, Western Sydney.

 Website   Free

Homelessness in NSW

Locations: Metropolitan Sydney - Haymarket, Liverpool, Bankstown, Fairfield, Sydney, Camden, Campbelltown, Northern Sydney, St George, Sutherland, Darlinghurst, Auburn, Parramatta, Holroyd, Lithgow, Katoomba; Central Coast - Gosford, Wyong; Illawarra Shoalhaven - Nowra, Wollongong; Southern NSW - Bega, Cooma, Eurobodalla, Moruya, Goulburn, Queanbeyan, Yass; Hunter New England - Maitland, Dungog, Cessnock, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Singleton, Muswellbrook; Mid North Coast - Casino, Port Stephens, Taree; Northern NSW - Armidale, Byron Bay, Lismore, Murwillumbah, Tamworth, Gunnedah, Inverell, Glen Innes, Moree, Narrabri; Murrumbidgee - Albury-Wodonga, Tumut, Griffith, Leeton, Wagga Wagga; Western NSW - Lithgow, Bathurst, Orange, Cobar, Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Forbes, Dubbo, Lightning Ridge, Parkes, Walgett, Coonamble, Cootamundra, Gilgandra, Wentworth; Far West NSW - Bourke, Brewarrina

Specialist homelessness services can help women, men, young people, families, Aboriginal people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. They help people who are sleeping rough, young people leaving care, people with mental health issues, people living in unsafe conditions, older people, and people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex or Queer (LGBTIQ). Specialist homelessness services are delivered by non-government organisations across NSW.

Housing Helplines:

  • Link2home - ‍1800 152 152 - is the NSW-wide homelessness information and referral telephone service. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.
  • Link2Home Veterans and Ex-Service -‍1800 326 989

Other online searches:

  • Infoxchange Service Seeker is an alternative search option, if you can’t find relevant services on this page.
  • Ask Izzy is a website and app for immediate assistance with information about where to get help for shelter, food, health and other critical services.


 Website   Link2home - ‍1800 152 152; Link2Home Veterans and Ex-Service -‍1800 326 989   Free

Lifeline Macarthur and Western Sydney

Locations: Metropolitan Sydney - Bankstown, Campbelltown, Penrith, Blue Mountains; Southern NSW - Queanbeyan

Crisis support, suicide prevention, survivor support groups, suicide bereavement, after care program, financial counselling, training and workshops, information and resources for Macarthur region. Men's Long Lunch and other initiatives to raise awareness and continue the conversation about men's mental health. The team oversees crisis support, suicide prevention, Lifeline Shops and community engagement from Bankstown to the Blue Mountains, and from Queanbeyan to the Hawkesbury.
  • Crisis Support Line - 13 11 14


 Website   (02) 4645 7200   Free

Lismore and District Financial Counselling Service

Locations: Lismore, Casino, Tweed Heads

Lismore & District Financial Counselling Service provides free resources, information and advice for anyone struggling with debt. Face-to-face or telephone appointments are available.

 Website   (02) 6622 2171   Free

Local Kind Northern Beaches

Locations: Manly, Brookvale

Local Kind provides critical intervention and support services to the most vulnerable in the Northern Beaches community, with a range of services for people experiencing homelessness, domestic and family violence and refugee settlement challenges. The Community Hub Drop-in enables meaningful connections to assist people in crisis with their immediate needs and help connect them to support.



 Website   Free

Mob Strong Debt Help

Mob Strong Debt Help is a free nationwide legal advice and financial counselling service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They specialise in consumer finance (such as credit cards, pay day loans and car loans), banking, debt recovery and insurance (including car, home, life and funeral insurance). The service is led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and includes solicitors, policy advocates, financial counsellors and a student financial counsellor.

 Website   1800 808 488   Free

Moneycare – Salvation Army

Locations: Canberra - Braddon; Metropolitan Sydney - Auburn, Bankstown, Blacktown, Fairfield, Hurstville, Katoomba, Liverpool, Macquarie Fields, Menai, Miranda, Mt Druitt, Narellan, Parramatta, Penrith, Rockdale, Surry Hills, ; Central Coast - Erina, Gosford, Wyong; Hunter New England - Bonnells Bay, Bolton Point, Newcastle; Murrumbidgee - Albury, Griffith; Northern NSW - Armidale, Gunnedah, Inverell, Moree, Narrabri, Tamworth, Taree; Southern NSW - Batemans Bay, Bega, Bowral, Cooma, Crookwell, Deniliquin, Goulburn, Hay, Yass; Western NSW - Broken Hill, Dubbo

Moneycare is a service offered by the Salvation Army. There are Moneycare locations across Australia which you can find on the locations tab. The Moneycare services team will deal with each individual's finances differently as everyone's situation is different. They can offer you step-by-step advice and you can get help with:

 Website   Free

Moneysmart

This Australian Government website provides free tools, tips and guidance to help Australians take control of their money. The website provides information and support to:
  • encourage saving
  • provide simple steps for the 1 in 3 people who feel stressed and overwhelmed by money
  • encourage informed use of financial products and services
  • increase retirement preparedness
  • provide specialist support for priority audiences.
 

 Website   Free

Murwillumbah and Tweed Financial Counselling Service

Locations: Murwillumbah

The Murwillumbah HUB is a purpose-built facility housing a suite of services delivered by Murwillumbah Community Centre, including:
  • Emergency relief
  • Financial counselling and budget counselling
  • Kids caring for country Indigenous culture group, Indigenous family support, Guyahyn Indigenous playgroup
  • Youth services
  • Yoga and recreational programs, broadband for seniors,
  • Welfare support, advocacy, information and referral.
The HUB also accommodates over 30 outreach services for organisations from Lismore to Tweed Heads.

 Website   02 6672 6237   Free

National Debt Help Line

The National Debt Help Line is run by the Australian Government for Australians who need help with their finances. The service provides advice about financial difficulties, whether it’s the mortgage, the credit card, the gas bill etc. Step-by-step guides help you work out what you can afford, how to negotiate payment plans, what debts to prioritise, manage your debts and get back on track.
  • Financial counselling is provided as a not-for-profit service, which is free and confidential.
  • There are online step-by-step guides are based on the experience of financial counsellors.


 Website   1800 007 007   Free

Police Post Trauma Service Group

Locations: Sydney - Campbelltown, Windsor; Mid North Coast - Wauchope; Murrumbidgee - Wagga Wagga; Northern NSW - Alstonville; Central Coast - Gosford

Service provides support and referrals to those who are suffering from PTSI (formerly PTSD), anxiety, depression and addictions. They provide counselling, support groups, education resources, and a helpline (open from 7.00 am to 10.00 pm).

 Website   0432 569 589   Free

Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Services -Financial Counselling Hunter Valley Project Inc

Locations: Port Stephens, Raymond Terrace

Financial counsellors are available to:
  • Listen and support you through periods of financial stress
  • Explore options and assist to manage your finances
  • Empower you to make positive changes over the long term
  • Advocate and negotiate with creditors on your behalf
  • Provide information and referrals for a range of issues you may be experiencing
  • Provide information and support through the bankruptcy process
  • Assist you in developing money management skills.
Other programs include the Tax Help Program, Work and Development Orders Program, Hunter Region No Interest Loans Scheme, and Emergency Relief Fund.

 Website   02 4933 8999    Free

Rural Financial Counselling Service NSW

The Rural Financial Counselling Service NSW is a charitable organisation which provides free, unbiased, confidential, and professional advice through the Rural Financial Counselling Service and Personal Financial Counselling Service in the Illawarra Region. It supports primary producers in southern, central, and far western NSW, servicing 78% of the state. Find locations. Rural Financial Counselling Service NSW Northern Region services the northern region.

 Website   Free

Southern Youth and Family Services

Locations: Illawarra Shoalhaven - Wollongong, Shellharbour, Nowra; Southern NSW - Goulburn

Main purpose is to support children, young people, adults and families who are disadvantaged, including those who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness and their families through supported accommodation, community social housing, counselling, and mediation. A dedicated Men's Health program through Community Health for Adolescents In Need (CHAIN) focuses on training young men to ask for help.

 Website   (02) 4221 7700   Free

Suicide Call Back Service

Suicide Call Back Service is a nationwide service providing 24/7 telephone and online counselling to people at risk of suicide, concerned about someone at risk, bereaved by suicide and people experiencing emotional or mental health issues.
  • 24/7 call back service - 1300 659 467
  • 24/7 online counselling support here


 Website   1300 659 467   Free

Victims Services NSW

Victims Services’ Victims Access Line (VAL) provides a single-entry point for victims of crime in NSW to assist them in accessing services including counselling and financial assistance.
  • Victims Access Line: 1800 633 063
  • Aboriginal Contact Line: 1800 019 123


 Website   1800 633 063   Free