Where can you get help?
In this Key Learning Area you will be provided with a brief description and contact details for a range of service providers who are able to provide advice and support if you find yourself a victim of any kind of financial abuse.
Introduction
There are many organisations who can provide women experiencing financial abuse with counselling, advice, support and educational opportunities. We are pleased to provide the details of some of these organisations below. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, but a good starting point for you to access the network of available services.
Service Providers
Zahra Foundation
The fear of poverty, homelessness and limited access to resources is critical in a woman’s decision to leave and remain free of an abusive relationship. Zahra Foundation Australia aims to address this by supporting women and children who have or are experiencing
domestic and family violence by creating opportunities for economic empowerment.
They do this through the development and delivery of programs that create pathways for women into further education and employment.
In addition to this they provide small grant opportunities for women and their children through their ‘Opportunity Knox’ program. These grants assist with costs associated with education, training and entering the workforce.
For more information contact:
Zahra Foundation
Tel: (08) 8352 1889 from 9.00am – 4.00pm Monday – Friday
Email: admin@zahrafoundation.org.au
Web: www.zahrafoundation.org.au
Catherine House
One of the serious impacts of financial abuse is housing insecurity or homelessness.
Catherine House offers crisis, longer term accommodation and support services for women experiencing homelessness. All programs and services are recovery-orientated and provide trauma informed care.
Catherine House deals with the immediate issues created by homelessness and supports women in planning a future that helps her sustain housing and builds a life that is meaningful and purposeful for her. Catherine House can accommodate up to 54 women experiencing homelessness and provides an outreach service to women living in the community.
For more information contact:
Catherine House
Tel: (08) 8232 2282
Email: reception@catherinehouse.org.au
Web: https://catherinehouse.org.au
Uniting Communities Law Centre
Addressing the impacts of Financial abuse often requires legal assistance. The Uniting Communities Law Centre can provide you with Free (in most instances) legal support to help you with a range of matters. The advice and support offerred is independent and confidential.
Assistance includes free legal support for people receiving Centrelink payments. Uniting Communities Law Centre lawyers and volunteers can give you information, advice, representation and referrals.
Lawyers in the Elder Abuse Unit can also provide support to you if you are experiencing elder abuse, or suspect that a loved one is.
For more information contact:
Uniting Communities Law Centre
Tel: (08) 82025960
Web: https://www.unitingcommunities.org/service/legal-services
Good Shepherd (Australia and New Zealand)
Good Shepherd’s purpose is to enable fullness of life for women, girls and families experiencing hardship. Good Shepherd provides safety and connections that help women, girls and families live fulfilling lives.
It offers a range of services, however two are of particular importance to women leaving or fleeing an abusive relationship with limited financial resources. These are:
- No Interest Loans. If eligible, you can borrow up to $2000 for essential goods and services with no fees, no interest, ever. Loans can be used for essential goods and services including household essentials, car repairs and registration, medical & dental, technology, housing and education.
- No Interest Loans for Vehicles. If eligible, you can borrow $2000 – $5000 (no interest payable) for the purchase of an essential vehicle including cars, scooters, mobility scooters, motorcycles and boats.
For more information contact:
UnitingCare Wesley Bowden
Tel: (08) 8245 7177
Email: nils-team@ucwb.org.au
Web: https://goodshep.org.au/
1800Respect
1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. Financial abuse can also be a form of domestic and family violence.
1800RESPECT counsellors can be contacted by calling 1800 737 732. This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is FREE to call from a landline, payphone and most mobile phones. However, some mobile phone companies do charge for these calls. A live chat service is also available 24/7 from the 1800RESPECT website https://www.1800respect.org.au/
Counsellors will work with you to help you identify what you can do and to find the right services or support for you. Everyone’s situation is different and no one knows your situation better than you.
View a short YouTube video presented by Rosie Batty. In this video, Rosie dicusses the four steps that you can take to safely support someone that is affected by domestic or family violence.
National Debt Helpline
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and need some help to deal with your financial hardship caused by financial abuse, you can speak with one of the National Debt Helpline financial counsellors.
Financial counsellors will not be judgmental about your circumstances – they’re there to offer you free, confidential and independent financial advice and assistance.
To speak to a financial counsellor you can:
- Call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 – open Weekdays from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.
- Use their live chat service by clicking the chat icon in the bottom right corner the National Debt Helpline website https://ndh.org.au/complex-situations/financial-abuse/. Live chat is available 9:00 am to 8.00 pm weekdays. If you send a message outside these hours a financial counsellor will get back to you.
- Find a financial counsellor in your local area by going to https://ndh.org.au/financial-counselling/find-a-financial-counsellor/
Elder abuse phone line
Older South Australians have the right to be safe and to be treated with dignity and respect. Decisions about their lives, finances, where they live, health care, lifestyle and relationships are important and older people have the right to make these decisions as they wish.
The SA Charter of the Freedoms and Rights of Older People helps you to understand what these rights are.
Older people are particularly vulnerable to financial abuse.
Every year, approximately 5% of older people will experience some form of mistreatment, abuse, neglect, by someone known and trusted to them. For every reported case, another five cases remain hidden and unreported.
If you, or someone you know is concerned about financial abuse, contact the SA Elder Abuse Phone Line for confidential information and advice.
Tel: 1800 372 310 from 9.00am – 5.00pm Monday – Friday (except on Public Holidays)
This Phone Line can also be used to make a report to the Adult Safeguarding Unit. This Unit is dedicated to providing a South Australia-wide service that can respond to concerns about adults who may be vulnerable and experiencing abuse or mistreatment.
The Unit has a strong focus on safeguarding the rights of adults vulnerable to abuse. An adult may be vulnerable due to age, disability, ill health, social isolation, dependence on others, or other disadvantage. The Unit provides free confidential advice, information and support.
The Unit also takes reports of actual or suspected abuse of an adult (persons over 18 years of age) who may be vulnerable. Once a report has been received, the Unit must assess the report and take action, as outlined in the Ageing and Adult Safeguarding Act 1995.
Anyone can call the Adult Safeguarding Unit and you can remain anonymous if you wish. You can also email the Unit:
