Financial Hardship Assistance

If you are having trouble making your repayments or are concerned about managing your repayments in the future, please contact us as soon as possible. We know that financial hardship can happen to anyone, and we are here to help.

Here are some of our frequently asked questions:

My home has been impacted due to a natural disaster, what should I do?

Firstmac is committed to supporting customers impacted by natural disasters. Customers who are having trouble making their repayments as a result of natural disasters - or are concerned about managing their repayments in the future - should get in touch.

We are here to provide support. Firstmac encourages those in need to reach out to our payments team on 1300 784 434 (7:30 AM – 5:30 PM AEST) or email financialassistance@firstmac.com.au. Our team will work with you to find the best possible assistance.

How do I apply for financial hardship assistance?

Please call our payments team on 1300 784 434 between 7.30am to 5.30pm AEST. You can also email us at financialassistance@firstmac.com.au with any information you would like to provide to us, and we will arrange to contact you for a further discussion. If you would like to provide us with more information, you can download and fill out our Financial Hardship Form and send it to us. We approach all customer requests individually and we want to understand your unique circumstances.

Download Financial Hardship Form

What is financial hardship?

There are many reasons why someone might experience financial hardship. Financial hardship can be due to unforeseen circumstances or unexpected events, for example: cost of living pressures, bereavement, illness, unemployment, relationship breakdowns, family violence or natural disasters. Your eligibility for support and the type of support available will usually be determined by assessing your income, expenses, and debts in order to help us understand your particular circumstances.

The financial hardship assistance process.

Once we have received your request for assistance:

• We will put any collection action on hold while we assess your application for assistance and until we have provided you with an outcome.
• One of our team members will review your application and contact you to discuss your individual circumstances.
• We will confirm the information within your application and may ask you to provide additional information or documentation in support, such as a statement of financial position, proof of employment or medical certificates, within 21 days. We will only request information that is reasonably necessary for us to assess and make an informed decision regarding your financial hardship application.
• Once you provide us with the information or documents we have requested, we will assess your application and provide our decision to you in writing within 21 days.
• If you don’t provide us with the requested information or documents by the due date, we will assess your application based on the information we already have and provide our decision to you in writing within the next 7 days.

What if my circumstances don’t change after receiving financial hardship assistance?

If you think you may require more financial hardship assistance than you originally requested, please contact us as soon as possible. We will re-assess your situation together with you. We may recommend that you seek financial advice through a free service.

Does financial hardship assistance affect my credit report?

Your credit report shows whether you have made your loan repayments on time over the past two years. If we provide you with financial hardship assistance and you meet the terms of that assistance, your credit report will show that you have made your repayments on time for the period of the arrangement. It will also include information that indicates you are in a financial hardship arrangement, which will stay on your credit report for one year and then be removed. Your credit report will not include the reason for your financial hardship assistance. You can find out more information about how financial hardship information appears on your credit report at Equifax's website - https://www.equifax.com.au/personal/financial-hardship-common-questions-answered

What support services are available to me?

There are a range of services available that may be able to provide you with further information on how to manage your finances or provide you with some support or guidance.

I am not satisfied with the outcome of my application for financial hardship assistance, what do I do?

You can make a complaint at any time to our Customer Relations Team on 13 12 20 or email customerrelations@firstmac.com.au. You can find out more about our complaints handling process here - https://www.firstmac.com.au/complaints-policy

If you are not satisfied with our response or handling of your complaint, you may seek independent help from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).

The contact details for AFCA are set out below.
Australian Financial Complaints Authority:
Online: www.afca.org.au
Email: info@afca.org.au
Phone: 1800 931 678 (freecall)
Mail: Australian Financial Complaints Authority GPO Box 3 Melbourne VIC 3001