- Details
Centrelink Telephone Allowance
If you have a Pensioner Concession Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, you might be eligible for the Government’s Telephone Allowance, as included in the Pensioner Supplement or Seniors Supplement.
You can read more information about whether you can get the Centrelink Telephone Allowance by clicking here.
Telstra Pensioner Discount
The Telstra Pensioner Discount provides eligible pensioner customers with a monthly call discount on their Telstra home phone service.
If you are eligible for the discount, you can also get free access to Call Control, a waiver on late payment fees, and fee-free payment options.
You can register by calling Telstra on 13 2200.
Telstra Home Phone Essential package
The Telstra Home Phone Essential package is a cheaper home phone plan for eligible Telstra customers.
To be eligible you must hold an eligible Health Care Card or Pension Concession Card.
- Details
If you are a Telstra customer you might benefit from the Telstra Access for Everyone Program.
The Access for Everyone program provides products and services to help people on a low income and people in financial hardship to stay connected to essential telecommunications services. Click on the link above to read more about what services and products might be available to you.
- Details
You might be eligible to receive the Centrelink Telephone Allowance to help you pay for your phone and internet connection.
If you are eligible you can receive a payment from the Government of either $28.20 or $42.00 every three months.
You can read more information about whether you can get the Centrelink Telephone Allowance by clicking here.
How can I claim the Centrelink Telephone Allowance?
If the Centrelink Telephone Allowance is not already paid to you as a part of your Centrelink payments, and you would like to receive it, or if you are unsure whether you are eligible, you should contact Centrelink.
You can contact Centrelink:
- By phone (click to find the relevant phone number for you)
- By writing, emailing, or sending a fax (click for addresses and fax number)
- Or by visiting a Centrelink office. You can find the closest one to you on this page.
- Details
Contacting a financial counsellor
Call a financial counsellor for free on 1800 007 007
For more helpful information visit the website for Financial Counselling Australia’s National Debt Helpline.
How talking to a financial counsellor can help you
If you're having difficulty paying your bills, you can call a financial counsellor. Their services are free and confidential.
They can help you figure out:
- how to organise your money
- how to pay your bills
- how to get the support you need.
- Details
Experiencing Financial Hardship
Welcome to ACCAN’s financial hardship portal. Here you can find useful information about what you can do if you are struggling to pay your bills.
Financial hardship happens when you are unable to meet repayment obligations for services that you’re using.
Since the introduction of the Financial Hardship Standard in March 2024, telcos must provide short term assistance to customers - and cannot ask for proof until a certain time has passed. For more information, consult ACCAN's Quick Guide to Financial Hardship Standard.
If you find yourself unable to pay a bill you will need to tell your service provider that you are experiencing financial hardship so that they can help you.
You can also talk to a financial counsellor for free and anonymous help.
Visit ‘How Can I Get Help’ to see the contact details for your service provider, and for more information about financial counsellors.
- Details
The summary below outlines ACCAN's activities from 1 December 2016 to 28 February 2017.
- Details
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) appeared before the Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network in Melbourne today to highlight the need for service standards and to present solutions to problems faced by consumers in the NBN rollout.
“It is fair to say that for a number of consumers the rollout has not been seamless,” said ACCAN CEO, Teresa Corbin. “The NBN is a large project that affects most Australians. The problems faced by consumers have been wide ranging from confusion and misconceptions about what NBN is, to overcoming difficulties in getting and using services.
“To ensure services meet consumer needs, both in the medium and long term, access to a network needs to be guaranteed in legislation. The service and underlying network also need to meet customer service standards. The responsibilities for the network provider and the retailers need to be clear. This would help to stop the finger pointing about who is to blame when services are not working and get resolutions more quickly for consumers.”
Read more: ACCAN highlights need for service standards to Joint Standing Committee on NBN
- Details
Advertised broadband speeds can be confusing. Claims such as ‘up to’ or ‘ultrafast’ do not explain what the typical speed will be for consumers. It also makes it difficult to compare providers and pick a plan that matches need. The ACCC, through new guidelines, is promoting clearer information on speed claims and ensuring that claims are not misleading consumers.
- Details
The Regional, Rural and Remote Communications Coalition (RRRCC) has welcomed a new broadband performance monitoring program to be administered by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Announced last Friday, the program will see Australian consumers receive independent information about broadband speeds based on feedback from remote testing at more than 4000 households.
“This is a welcome measure and we congratulate the Australian Government on the initiative," Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) CEO, Teresa Corbin said.
“The top complaint about internet services to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) is in relation to faulty services and slow speeds, indicating there is a gap between consumer expectations of how their services will perform, and actual performance.
Read more: Broadband speed report card welcomed by bush communications coalition
- Details
ACCAN’s submission to the Federal Joint Parliamentary Committee on the NBN highlights a number of solutions to the problems facing consumers.
- Details
Last year Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media (QRAM), in conjunction with ACCAN, released what is believed to be the first consumer resources produced in Indigenous languages.
Working with design agency, Gilimbaa, QRAM created a series of audio tracks with information on what you should think about before buying a mobile phone, how to keep internet and phone costs low, what people can do if they get a large or unexpected bill and more. The project also produced a series of colourful posters that cover the same issues.
Read more: Indigenous consumer education
Write comment (0 Comments)