የአውስትራሊያ የነዳጅና ናፍጣ ዋጋዎች ጫናዎች ሳይረግቡ አሉ። የአውስትራሊያ ብሔራዊ ባንክ የወለድ መጠን ጭማሪም አያሌ ቤቶች ላይ ታካይ የፋይናንስ ሸምቀቆውን አጥብቋል። በፋይናንስ ጭንቀት ውስጥ ላሉ ሰዎች ነፃና ገለልተኛ የድጋፍ አገልግሎት የሚቸሩት ላይ ምልከታ አድርገናል።
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SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands and waterways across Australia.
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You're listening to Australia Explained, Fuel in Focus, helping you navigate life in Australia at a time when fuel and energy supplies are changing.
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Australian retail petrol and diesel prices remain under pressure as the current US-Iran war enters its 3rd month. For many Australian families, the pressure has become twofold following the RBA's decision to hike the cash rate this month. People are paying more at the bowser while also managing rising grocery bills, rent, mortgages, and other essentials.
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We're hearing from a lot of people
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who are really stressed about their mortgage repayments. That's our number one call. There's actually quite a few different options available to people, and that's what financial counsellors can talk about.
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Welcome to Australia Explained Fuel in Focus. I'm your host Melissa Compagnoni. Today we explore the free and independent services available to help you manage financial stress.
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Melbourne resident Imtiaz Ahmed works full time in IT, but he also drives taxis and rideshare vehicles on weekends and in the evenings to support his family.
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One job is not enough for their survival. My car unfortunately
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takes diesel and where I used to spend around $103, $105, now it's gone up to around $160 which doesn't really help me. So things are quite tough for everyone.
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Mr Ahmed says higher fuel prices are only one part of the problem.
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He says fewer passengers, higher platform commissions, and everyday living costs are making it harder for drivers to make ends meet.
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The other day I just went to the airport to pick up my ride. I've been sitting there for nearly 4 hours, didn't get anything. 1:30, 2 o'clock in the morning, just came back home empty. I could have been spending time with my family, but I was just trying to make my living.
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Mr Ahmed is now considering approaching the National Debt Helpline.
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It's a free, independent and confidential service available across Australia. The helpline connects people experiencing financial stress with financial counsellors who can explain their rights and talk through their options. Vicki Staff from the National Debt Helpline says many people are now spending more of their income on essentials such as fuel and food, leaving less money for rent, mortgages, and bills.
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At the moment we're hearing from a lot of people who are really stressed about their mortgage repayments. That's our number one call that we receive, but we also hear from people who are struggling with credit card debt, they owe money to the tax office, also electricity debt and car loans as well.
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Ms Staff says many people don't realise they have the right to ask for a financial hardship arrangement from a bank or a credit provider.
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A financial hardship arrangement could be something like a pause on repayments for a little while. It could be a payment arrangement where they pay off a smaller amount over a longer period of time. There's actually quite a few different options available to people, and that's what financial counsellors can talk about.
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Ms Staff says counsellors need to understand a person's financial situation to provide the right information and practical options.
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We will talk to people about what their income is, what their expenses are, what their assets and their liabilities are, and it's only when we do that that we can get a good idea of the best options to help them get through that financial hardship.
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There are 3 ways to contact the National Debt Helpline.
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You can call 1800 007 007, visit ndh.org.au or use the live chat service on the website.
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For people who speak a language other than English, the National Debt Helpline can arrange interpreter support during the call. Ms Staff says currently the demand for help is high, so callers might need to wait during busy periods, but she advises people who can't get through to try again later or use another contact option such as live chat.
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Residents are also encouraged to check other free support that may be available through community organisations, including the Salvation Army's Moneycare Service, some Anglicare financial counselling services, community legal centres, Mob Strong Debt Help, and the Financial Rights Legal Centre.
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This was an Australia Explained Fuel in Focus podcast episode written by Sahil Makkar and mixed by me, Melissa Compagnoni. Australia Explained managing editor is Roza Germian.
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For more practical tips on managing the cost of living in Australia, visit the SBS Australia Explained website or follow us wherever you get your podcasts.
