1. Purpose

This policy outlines how we support customers who are experiencing financial hardship and may be unable to meet their payment obligations. We are committed to treating all customers with fairness, dignity, and respect, and to providing options that balance the customer’s circumstances with our business needs.

2. What is Financial Hardship?

Financial hardship means a situation where a customer is willing but unable to meet their financial obligations due to unexpected events such as:

• Loss of employment or reduced income
• Serious illness or injury
• Family or domestic issues
• Natural disasters
• Other reasonable causes outside of the customer’s control

3. Support Available

If you are experiencing financial hardship, we may be able to provide:

• Payment Plans: Flexible arrangements to pay in smaller, regular amounts.
• Payment Extensions: Extra time to pay outstanding bills.
• Fee Waivers or Reductions: Removal or reduction of late payment fees where appropriate.
• Service Adjustments: Options to change or reduce services to lower costs.
• Referral Services: Information about external financial counselling or community support.

4. Applying for Assistance

Customers can apply for financial hardship assistance by:

• Contacting our customer service team via phone or email, or

Customers may be asked to provide reasonable evidence of their circumstances (e.g., medical certificate, employment termination letter, or bank statements).

5. Assessment & Confidentiality

• Each application will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
• Decisions will be communicated within 1 business day.
• All information provided will be kept confidential in line with privacy laws.

6. Customer Obligations

While under a financial hardship arrangement, customers agree to:

• Make payments as agreed in the plan.
• Notify us promptly if circumstances change (improving or worsening).

7. Review & Escalation

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your financial hardship application, you can request a review by our Hardship Officer. If still unsatisfied, you may escalate to an external complaints body such as the Ombudsman.

8. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed every 12 months to ensure it remains fair, transparent, and in line with regulatory requirements.