Key Dates

Next Grant Round:
Applications for funding will open early 2025. 
> Information about our Grants Program

Independent Grants Panel:
Results of the recent EOI will be notified Dec 2024.
> Information about our Panel  

We can help:  grants@accan.org.au
or phone 02 9288 4000

Grants Information

Round Guidelines

Round Priorities

How to apply

Who can apply?

What is eligible?

How Grants are assessed

Hardship Policies in Practice: A Comparative Study

Financial Counselling Australia (FCA)

Grant Awarded: 2012

Grant Amount: $45,911

Drawing on the grassroots professional experiences of financial counsellors as well as focus group interviews with consumers, Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) produced a report outlining how the telecommunications industry's hardship policies and practices compare with those of the banking, energy and water industries.

A workshop was also held with experts in the financial hardship sector – financial counsellors, consumer advocates, staff from industry hardship teams, government representatives and staff from external dispute resolution (EDR) schemes. Members of this workshop collaborated and identified key factors that contribute to effective hardship policy and practice. These included, for example, recognising a cash positive business case, and the early identification of customers that are potentially experiencing hardship. FCA will continue to work with the telco industry and EDR schemes to implement these key measures for effective hardship practices.

Download: pdfHardship Policies in Practice: A Comparative Study3.79 MB

Download: docxHardship Policies in Practice: A Comparative Study719.76 KB