Care Financial Counselling Service and the Consumer Law Centre of the ACT

Do you work in a Government or Non-Government Organisation and have clients
who are struggling with debt?

Care Financial Counselling Service and the Consumer Law Centre of the ACT is
a community organisation that has been operating in the ACT for almost 30
years. We are a free service and are funded by the Commonwealth and ACT
Governments to provide the following:


* Financial Counselling
Financial counsellors at Care work with individuals to ascertain the
priorities and goals of each person, carefully working through their debts
to see what options are available to help resolve the situation. Financial
counsellors do not direct or advise their clients, they do not take over
their money or say who they should or should not pay. Rather financial
counsellors are there to assist clients to find their own path through debt
by providing them with the tools and support they need to make financial
decisions that are right for them.

Confronting overdue bills or a pile of debt can be overwhelming. If your
client is nervous calling our service, sometimes sitting with them whilst
they make the first call can help. Please be aware for privacy reasons to
make an appointment the financial counsellor needs to speak directly to the
client.


* Community Education
We provide a range of educational activities in the community and are
available to come and talk to your service about financial counselling as
well strategies for supporting clients who live on low to moderate incomes.
Our community educators can also run workshops at your premises for your
clients covering a range of money management issues including budgeting,
credit traps and managing debt.


* Consumer Law Centre of the ACT (CLC)
The CLC is a free, independent, community legal centre funded by the ACT
Government. It aims to provide legal assistance and advice for low to
moderate income consumers, primarily in the areas of consumer credit,
telecommunications and utilities, as well as general fair trading and
consumer protection. The Centre also works towards improving legal
protection for consumers, and raising awareness and understanding of
consumers' rights in the ACT.


* No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS)
If you have clients who reside in the ACT or Queanbeyan district who hold a
health care card they may be eligible for a no interest loan to purchase
essential household items such as a washing machine, refrigerator ,beds and
other furniture. Loans can be provided for up to $800 and can be repaid
over a 12 -18 month period. A fortnightly repayment plan can be set up
through Centrepay. Please let your clients know that they can call our
office on 6257 1788 during office hours to find out more about the
eligibility criteria or visit our website
www.carefcs.org<http://www.carefcs.org>.

For more information on our service, please visit
www.carefcs.org<http://www.carefcs.org> or call our office on 6257 1788
(during business hours).