By Sahar Foladi
The mounting pressure of cost of living in Greater Dandenong has prompted a community relief group to hold a ‘Bring your Bills Day’.
About 150 community members walked through the doors at South East Community Links in Dandenong on Wednesday 13 September for support with their bills, loans and other expenses.
An emotional resident seeking asylum from Malaysia, Suzetty Subandi was one of the many residents in need of support.
“When I got the information, I attended straight away to seek help for my situation, my car loan, billing and everything.
“I felt lost, stuck and didn’t know where to go but now I feel like the big stone is lifted from my shoulders. I’m so grateful to the community.”
Ms Subandi worked in aged care when she found herself injured at work and diagnosed with pain and stiffness from a ‘frozen shoulder’.
Things spiralled from there after she was forced to quit her job and her husband became the sole income-earner with factory work.
To make it even worse, their monthly rent increased to $1521 as experienced by thousands of others.
She said the event was “out of my expectation”.
“I thought I’d walk in and receive some advice but here they gave some solutions, information so when I face the agency or the energy consultants, I can talk to them.”
SECL financial counsellor, Kay Dilger said they’re humbled by the community response to the event.
“This was an extra support to try and reach as many people as possible to make it OK to talk about financial hardship and that everyone is struggling right now.”
Experts from the water, power and service sectors, tenancy rights, financial and consumer rights, Ombudsman services, Centrelink, Fines Victoria were available to provide free confidential advice.
They provided information about where to go and who to speak with if customers are unable to speak with their bank or energy company about an unaffordable payment arrangement.
Ms Dilger said electricity bills took up majority of the topic at the drop-in session.
“We had one person who had no electricity for two weeks get their service re-connected because they came in at the drop-in session.
“We supported 30 community members to get their electricity bills on payment plans, and to access grants and concessions in one-on-one interviews,” she said.
“It goes to show the increasing challenges people are facing. People need support to talk to their creditors.”
Eight different languages and over the phone interpreters were available to accommodate the diversity of people who attended the session.
SECL is the largest provider in financial counselling in the municipality. At least two thirds of their clients talk about the cost of living pressures impacting on their ability to pay bills and sustain housing.
Despite multiple community organisations providing emergency relief in food, pantry supplies and assistance such as SECL, Cornerstone and Orange Sky the never-ending demands continue to surge. And it’s challenging for organisations to keep up.
“If I compare it to two years ago, we had about two weeks wait to see a financial counsellor,” Ms Dilger said.
“Now unless you’re losing your home, the bank has repossessed your house or you’re being evicted, we have about a 12 week wait to see a financial counsellor.”
More than 62 per cent of SECL clients accessing emergency relief services report mental health, cost of living, and housing stress.
Between January to June 2023, 74 per cent of clients presenting to financial counselling indicated the cost of living and mortgage stress as the reason for their financial hardship.
“Everyone’s had to cut back on their spending and of course those on the lowest fixed incomes struggle the most to keep up with the cost of living crisis,” Ms Dilger said..
“We need more support in funds from state and federal government in order to meet the rising demand in the community.
“We do what we can but really what we need is more resources to provide the service that’s very much needed at the moment.”
The National Debt Helpline reports a 29 per cent increase (15,404) in calls during the six months to June 2023 compared to last year.
There’s also a major increase in calls regarding credit card, rentals, Buy Now Pay Later, mortgage payments and increased council rates and body corporate levy arrears.
