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This document describes our policy for customers in hardship.
The intent of this policy is to ensure that if you are a customer experiencing hardship, you are treated in accordance to our Customer Commitments which outline what you should expect when receiving service from us.
Policy
Application of this policy
This policy applies if you're experiencing economic hardship, including as a result of domestic violence or when you have been affected by a natural disaster. This policy also applies if you're considered vulnerable due to a mental illness, an intellectual disability or cognitive impairment, if you're homeless, or if you have a serious addiction to drugs, alcohol or volatile substances.
We'll attempt to identify when these circumstances exist as early as possible, and you can usually make an application relating to hardship as soon as you have a debt with us.
Flexible payment options
We provide flexible payment options if you're experiencing financial difficulties, whether it's a short-term issue or an ongoing problem.
We'll allow you to enter into a payment arrangement, such as paying your debts on a weekly or fortnightly basis, as long the payment arrangement is reasonable given your circumstances.
You, or someone you have authorised to act on your behalf, may apply for assistance with a payment you are required to make to us– such as paying a tax, fine or fee debt administrated by us – because you are suffering hardship.
Hardship may be established:
on a case-by-case basis, where we undertake a fair and transparent review of your circumstances – you may be asked to supply documents or other evidence to support your case
by an independent third-party assessment, which is agreed to by you and us.
If you're assessed as being in hardship
In the most serious cases, you may be able to have your unpaid debt written off. This means you wouldn't have to pay any more money to your debt. You may have to abide by conditions, such as having no further debts within a set period of time.
In other cases, you might be allowed to:
Have your debt or liability postponed or extended into the future.
Satisfy your debt through a work and development order (currently only available for fines ), which means you can do unpaid community work, a course of treatment, or other activities instead of paying your debt.
Have money refunded to you if it has been deducted from your account under a garnishee order.
We may authorise a refund of any amount taken where
the health or safety of someone else would be put at risk. We may require an application for full or partial refund to be supported by documentation from an independent reliable source.
You are facing severe economic hardship as a result of the garnishee order. We may require you to provide supporting evidence that shows you are unable to meet your needs, including food and shelter.
We have made an error or omission that has resulted in you failing to receive a fair opportunity to resolve the outstanding debt prior to the issue of the garnishee order.
The bank/financial institution made an error which has resulted in your money being incorrectly taken.;
We have otherwise identified you as vulnerable and failure to refund monies garnisheed would, in the opinion of a delegated officer, be harsh or unreasonable. We may require supporting documentation from an independent reliable source.
If your application relating to hardship is unsuccessful, you can apply to the Hardship Review Board. The Hardship Review Board looks at cases independently and may over-rule a decision made by us regarding payment plans, work and development orders, and the write off or waiver of part or all of a person’s debt.
You cannot make an application to the Hardship Review Board in relation to a garnishee deduction.
Our staff
Our staff receive ongoing training on how best to respond to your needs. All customers should expect to be treated with dignity and respect. Read more about our commitment to you.
Continuous improvement
This policy is a living document, meaning that our Hardship Policy and our programs are continuously being reviewed and revised to ensure that they remain relevant and useful to you.
Confidentiality and privacy
Any contact (phone, email, face-to-face) you have with any staff member regarding your circumstances will remain confidential. We will not share information unless directed or authorised by law.
Contact us on 1300 368 710 (taxes) or 1300 655 805 (fines) or 02 7808 6934 (Covid-19 fines) to discuss your situation. We have staff who receive training in identifying and responding to your specific needs under this policy.
Version Control
This version of the Hardship Policy was approved by the Commissioner for Fines Administration on 17/02/2023.
