Things are pretty tough at the moment. With the rising cost of living, more Australians than ever are facing financial hardship. The increasing costs of food, petrol, and housing are pushing many into debt, and the demand for financial support services continues to grow.

It comes as no surprise there has been a significant increase in the number of people Australia wide reaching out for help. The kind of help the National Debt Helpline (NDH) can provide.

Some of the pressing needs people reach out to the NDH for assistance with include:

Some good news! Vinnie’s WA has secured funding from the Department of Social Services to operate the NDH for the next five years.

Suzanne Long, Manager of Manager of Financial Counselling Services of Vinnies told us that this now
means that the service can continue to provide West Australians who are struggling with cost-of-living
pressures free, independent and accessible financial counselling services to help find solutions and manage their debt.

Suzanne says, “Securing funding for the National Debt Helpline is essential to ensuring individuals and families across the country have access to free, independent and confidential support when they need it the most”.

“This investment will empower people to regain control of their finances and work towards a more stable and secure future,” she says. Long goes on to say, “This benefits not just the individuals but the wider community and the economy.”

Last year alone, 169,000 people called in or used the online chat tool to seek help from financial counsellors – a 12% increase on 2023. Total visits to the NDH website in 2024 also increased by 32% – that’s almost 647,000 visits compared to 490,522 in 2023.

Concerningly, even more people will need help in 2025.

If you are one of the hundreds of thousands of people who are struggling financially, please contact the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 or visit ndh.org.au