Financial counselling can make a difference

Susan is in her 70s and has been a City West Housing resident since 2015. She feels fortunate to have access to affordable housing and has prided herself on always paying her rent on time.

This was until around six months ago when Susan began receiving letters from City West Housing stating that she was behind on her rent. This coincided with her being diagnosed with a mild cognitive impairment, which means that she sometimes has trouble remembering and learning new things. To make matters worse, her bank had introduced a new app which she found confusing to use when making payments.

Susan - Good Shepherd Financial Counselling sm

Susan was anxious about the situation and became distressed whenever she would receive a letter which said her rent was in arrears. It was then that Susan’s Housing Manager referred her to Good Shepherd for free financial counselling.

In just a couple of phone calls the financial counsellor was able to show Susan that the issues arose from the timing of her rent payments. “The financial counsellor was very helpful. She assisted me with organising the direct debits to happen at the right time when rent was due, so I don’t have to pay manually.”

Susan has not received any rent arrears letters in the last couple of months. “I’m now less stressed about going into arrears and I feel more in control.”

City West Housing residents can now self-refer to this free financial counselling service on a confidential basis. Email Good Shepherd Financial Counselling on FCCWH@goodshep.org.au, or ask your Housing Manager to email them for you.

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