Managing Financial Difficulty
We understand there may be times when your personal circumstances change. You may experience an unexpected event or changes outside of your control. Perhaps you’ve lost your job, suffered an illness or injury or have been impacted by a natural disaster. If, as a result, you can’t afford the minimum repayment on your loan or credit card, and you would like us to consider if we can provide you with financial difficulty assistance, please contact us immediately. The sooner you contact us the sooner we can try to help you. In many instances assistance can be provided quickly and efficiently over the phone. Alternatively, we may need to complete a more detailed assessment of your personal and financial circumstances to identify how we may be able to help you. Financial difficulty assistance is available to you, whether you are an individual, joint account holder, guarantor or small business Member. If you have a joint account and you are experiencing financial difficulty, we can assist you individually if you request it. |
Request a CallContact Us |
If you would like to apply for assistance, please contact:
Phone: | 1300 361 761 |
Email: | support@serviceone.com.au |
Postal address: |
SERVICE ONE Credit Control 75 Denison Street DEAKIN ACT 2600 |
Financial difficulty assistance - FAQs |
Q: What are my assistance options?A: This will depend on your personal circumstances and financial situation, and may include:
It is important to contact us early so that we can discuss your situation and provide the best options available to you. Q: What is the application process?A: If you think you are, or will be, unable to meet your debt obligations please contact us as soon as possible. Depending on your situation we may be able to provide assistance quickly and efficiently over the phone. Alternatively we may require further information and documentation to help us understand your financial position and determine whether assistance is appropriate. We may require:
Once you have provided us with all the requested information necessary to review your financial situation, we will provide you with a decision within 21 days. Q: How will we assess your application for financial difficulty assistance?A: Our dedicated team will contact you. When assessing your request they will take into account factors including:
Q: How will we tell you about our decision?A: We will tell you in writing if we can assist you, the reason for our decision to provide assistance and the main details of the proposed new arrangements. You’ll need to ensure that you meet the terms of the new arrangement. If you are subsequently unable to meet these terms, you should contact us as soon as possible to discuss your situation. Q: What happens if my application is declined?A: There may be a number of reasons why we decide not to provide financial difficulty assistance. If this is the case the reason for the decision will be explained to you in writing. We will also seek to discuss the next steps we will take and other available options with you. Q: What if I am not satisfied with the outcome of this assessment?A: Please contact us on 1300 361 761 or email us. We will promptly investigate your complaint and notify you of the outcome. If you are not satisfied with the response provided, you have the option of referring the matter to the Bendigo Bank Customer Advocate team who will impartially assess your complaint, keep you informed of the progress and provide you with a response. The Bendigo Bank Customer Advocate can be contacted by:
Telephone: 1300 139 572 (+61 3 5485 7919) between 8:30am and 5:00pm Victorian time, weekdays Alternatively (or following consideration by the Customer Advocate) you may refer your complaint directly to:
Australian Financial Complaints Authority |
Other useful resources |
If you are experiencing financial difficulty, useful resources are available to you. These include:
|
Steps to manage your money |
Here are 10 positive steps towards managing your money during a period of financial difficulty:
You can also pick up your free copy of our Budget Guide from any Branch which will help you develop a budget plan for your household. |