# How to Find Free Financial Counselling in Australia > What a financial counsellor does, how one differs from a lender's hardship team, how to reach a counsellor through the National Debt Helpline and what to have beside you. Canonical HTML: https://getclova.com/blog/free-financial-counselling Clova is an Australian budgeting app. [Join the waitlist](https://getclova.com/) [Home](https://getclova.com/) → [Guides](https://getclova.com/blog) → [Budgeting](https://getclova.com/blog/topic/budgeting) → [How to Find Free Financial Counselling in Australia](https://getclova.com/blog/free-financial-counselling) - Author: Marnix - Published: 2026-10-09 The rent is due on Friday and a card repayment falls in the same week, but the pay won't stretch to both. The fix that's easiest to find is another loan, which usually leaves every pay after it a bit smaller. Talking to a financial counsellor first means someone on your side looks at the whole picture before you sign anything. ## What a financial counsellor does A financial counsellor is a qualified professional who helps people who are in debt or can't keep up with their everyday costs. They're based in community organisations and some local councils, and they don't lend money or sell anything. The help is practical. A counsellor can help you see which debts come first and make a plan your pay can carry, including any grants or concessions you may be able to get. They can also help if debt collectors are contacting you. For a dispute or a legal problem, they'll explain your rights and connect you with free legal help, since legal advice itself isn't their job. What no counsellor can do is promise that a debt will be written off or that a business will agree to a particular plan. ## Who's on your side of the conversation Several kinds of money help sound alike, and it matters which one you're talking to. When you ask a lender, telco or power company for a break on repayments, you speak to its hardship team. They can change what you pay that business, which may be exactly what you need, but they work for the business. A financial counsellor sits on your side of that conversation. | On your side | The business you owe | | --- | --- | | You | The lender or provider | | Financial counsellor: works only in your interest | Its hardship team: can change what you repay it | The counsellor can negotiate with the hardship team for you. Two other names come up. A financial adviser gives advice about financial products, such as where to invest money you have, and charges for it. And a business that charges fees to sort out your debts is a debt consolidation or refinancing company, not a financial counsellor. You can still ask a provider for help yourself, and our guide to [financial hardship assistance](/blog/financial-hardship-assistance) walks through that request. A counsellor can help you work out what to ask for before you call. ## How to reach a counsellor Call the National Debt Helpline on **1800 007 007** and you'll be put through to the financial counselling service in your state. There's also a live chat on [its website](https://ndh.org.au/), and both are open on weekdays. If you'd rather sit down with someone, the helpline's [map of financial counsellors](https://ndh.org.au/talk-to-a-financial-counsellor/find-a-financial-counsellor) shows services near you where you can make an appointment. A local appointment isn't always available straight away, so getting in touch before the next missed payment helps. The earlier you ask, the more options you'll have. ## What to have beside you Whatever you can gather helps the first conversation get further, and anything with a deadline is worth mentioning early in the call. Start with anything that has a date on it: 1. **Deadlines:** court papers, disconnection notices. 2. **What you owe:** statements and balances, what's overdue, letters from collectors. 3. **What comes in:** payslips, Centrelink statements, recent bank statements. 4. **What goes out:** rent and bills, food and transport, when each is due. A starting list, not a required one. Tell them, too, if you need an interpreter or a safe way to be contacted. Ask how they'd like documents sent, and keep your banking and myGov passwords to yourself, since nobody helping you needs them. [Buy now pay later](/blog/buy-now-pay-later) instalments count as money owed, even though they rarely feel like debt. Balances are the fiddly part when your money sits with a few different banks. Clova brings your accounts from every bank into one view, so the numbers are in one place before you call. ## When something can't wait Some problems need help sooner than an appointment. If someone has started court action over a debt, get free legal advice straight away. Moneysmart's [free legal advice page](https://moneysmart.gov.au/managing-debt/free-legal-advice) lists community legal centres and Legal Aid services. If you need food or help with a bill this week, charities and community groups run emergency relief, and [Ask Izzy](https://askizzy.org.au/) can find services near you. ## After the first conversation What comes next depends on what's going on. It might be a plan for which bills to pay first, help asking a business for more time, or a referral to another service. If the pressure comes from an essential item you need to buy, [No Interest Loans](/blog/no-interest-loans) are worth a look. They charge no interest or fees, which makes them a very different thing from the quick loan in the ad. A plan only helps if it holds for the next few pays. Clova puts upcoming bills beside your pay, so each agreed payment is in view before the pay that covers it arrives. If your hours drop or a new bill turns up, you can go back to the counselling service rather than reworking it on your own. Clova is an Australian budgeting app. Join the waitlist and we’ll be in touch. [Join the waitlist](https://getclova.com/) Getting in touch about money can feel like admitting something has gone wrong. You can talk with someone whose job is to help rather than judge. ## A note from us Getting money help should leave the decisions with you. When a pay has money left, Clova asks where you'd like it to go, so you can choose what to do with it alongside the plan you agreed. ## Common questions ### Do I need to be in serious debt to see a financial counsellor? No. A bill or two that has started to slip is reason enough to get in touch, even if everything else is up to date. ### Can a counsellor help with a Centrelink or other government debt? Yes. Counsellors deal with government agencies as well as banks and lenders, and with landlords, power companies and telcos too, so you can bring everything you owe to the same conversation. ### Is there a service for my situation? There are specialist services alongside the National Debt Helpline. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can call Mob Strong Debt Help on 1800 808 488 for free financial counselling and legal advice. If gambling is part of the picture, the Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 can refer you to a specialist gambling financial counsellor. If money is tied up with family or domestic violence, 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 is open 24 hours a day, or you can ask the National Debt Helpline for your closest service. ## Sources 1. [About financial counselling](https://www.financialcounsellingaustralia.org.au/about-financial-counselling/) · Financial Counselling Australia 2. [National Debt Helpline](https://ndh.org.au/) · National Debt Helpline 3. [Find a financial counsellor](https://ndh.org.au/talk-to-a-financial-counsellor/find-a-financial-counsellor) · National Debt Helpline 4. [Financial counselling](https://moneysmart.gov.au/managing-debt/financial-counselling) · ASIC Moneysmart 5. [Get debt under control](https://moneysmart.gov.au/managing-debt/get-debt-under-control) · ASIC Moneysmart 6. [Urgent help with money](https://moneysmart.gov.au/managing-debt/urgent-help-with-money) · ASIC Moneysmart 7. [Free legal advice](https://moneysmart.gov.au/managing-debt/free-legal-advice) · ASIC Moneysmart 8. [Choosing a financial adviser](https://moneysmart.gov.au/financial-advice/choosing-a-financial-adviser) · ASIC Moneysmart ## Related reading - [How to pay off a credit card in Australia](https://getclova.com/blog/pay-off-credit-card) - [How much money do you have left before payday?](https://getclova.com/blog/money-left-before-payday) - [How to make a budget in Australia](https://getclova.com/blog/how-to-make-a-budget) [Report a correction](https://getclova.com/contact) This guide explains a budgeting method in general terms; it doesn't consider your circumstances.