Managing Your Money Well
Managing Your Money Well

Helpful Services

Need a hand?

Do you have a financial problem which you need some help with? Are you behind on your bills and need some help? Need some legal advice about a consumer issue? Or a safe and secure loan? There are plenty of services who can assist with a number of financial issues, check them out below.

Free Financial Counselling Services

Illawarra Legal Centre Financial Counselling Service
Illawarra Legal Centre (ILC) offers free, professional financial counselling to residents of the Shoalhaven. Assistance can be provided via the phone or face to face appointments at Shoalcoast Community Legal Centre's office, and advocacy can be provided, if needed. ILC can offer support and information on a wide array of topics, including bankruptcy, debt recovery and other consumer issues.
Click here for more information
National Debt Hotline
National Debt Hotline (NDH) is a not-for-profit, free financial counselling service, run by Financial Rights Legal Centre. With online, over the phone, and face to face options available, accessing free financial counselling is available to everyone. All counselling is independent and confidential, ensuring a professional experience every time
Click here for more information
Lifeline South Coast Financial Counselling
Lifeline South Coast Financial Counselling Service is a FREE, personal, professional and confidential service catering for the people of the South Coast. Accredited Financial Counsellors can help you to explore your financial options, provide advocacy and support when dealing with creditors, and help with personal and family budgeting. Lifeline South Coast Financial Counselling Service offers: FREE financial counselling, complete confidentiality, highly skilled impartial advice on personal finance, assistance with personal and family budgets, advocacy and support when dealing with creditors, assistance with bankruptcy and money management education and workshops.
Click Here for more information
Uniting Nowra - Problem Gambling Help
The gambling help counselling service offers a therapeutic support group for family members and significant others of problem gamblers. The group supports and strengthens the skills people must have to manage their situation. Each group is facilitated by a Gambling Help Counsellor who will ensure participants are able to develop the best solutions for themselves. Some of the topics include: Understanding problem gambling, Rebuilding trust within the relationship, Information about managing finances, Strengthening communication skills. Appointments are available from 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday as well as some after-hours appointments.
Click Here for more information
Shoalhaven Women's Health Centre - Financial Counselling
Financial Counselling is a free, confidential and non-judgemental service that can assist those in financial difficulty to explore their financial options. This includes providing information and advice on creating sustainable budgets, planning for changes in income and expenses, setting goals and managing debt, including advocating for you with creditors. Please ask about our outreach services within the Shoalhaven.
Click Here for more information
Anglicare - Nowra - Financial Counselling
Financial Counselling is a free service provided by qualified and caring professionals. Depending on your individual circumstances, Financial Counselling can: help you assess your financial situation, provide information about credit and debt issues, design a personal money management plan if appropriate, act as an advocate for you and negotiate with credit providers, government agencies and businesses provide information on credit laws, debt recovery processes, bankruptcy and other areas of service refer you to other specialist services.
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Southern Youth and Family Services - Financial Counselling
The Financial Counsellor aims to provide services to young people between the ages of 12 and 25 years (inclusive) in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven area who are vulnerable, disadvantaged, homeless or those at risk of disadvantage and homelessness. The Program provides assistance with budgeting, debts, contract negotiations and other impacting financial issues. This program operates from Wollongong, Shellharbour and Nowra. The program can also provide outreach support offsite.
Click Here for more inforation
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Free Legal Services

Shoalcoast Community Legal Centre

Shoalcoast Community Legal Centre provides free legal service by telephone or face to face appointments to all residents of the Shoalhaven, Eurobodalla, Bega Valley, Snowy Monaro and Queanbeyan/Palerang Local Government Areas.

Law Access

Law Access NSW is a starting point for all legal advice. You can contact Law Access from 9am-5am Monday to Friday for free legal advice, information and referrals, available to all NSW residents with a legal issue. Alternatively, you can access their website which has useful resources and information regarding legal matters.

Financial Rights Legal Centre

Financial Rights Legal Centre is NSW's only financial legal centre. Financial Rights have many tools and resources available, in addition to offering financial counselling through the National Debt Hotline. Financial Rights can also provide legal advice on consumer issues, including insurance.

Alternative to high interest loans

No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS)
No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) is a safe, affordable and fair loan offered to people with a low income. Loans of up to $1,500 are offered to eligible recipients, and can go to essential goods, like fridges, washing machines, essential service or medical treatment or education expenses. NILS is offered in over 170 local communities organisations, in over 600 communities.
Click here for more information
Low Interest Loans
Step up offer low interest loans to households with a low income to encourage financial security and help improve quality of life. Loans vary from $800 to $3000, and can be repaid over 12-36 months at a 5.99% interest rate per year.
Click here for more information
Centrelink Advance
You may get part of your income support payment or Family Tax Benefit (Part A) early. This is an advance payment. You pay it back later out of your payments from the Australian Taxation Office.
Click here for more information
Saver Plus Program - The Smith Family
Saver Plus is a 10 month financial education and matched savings program that assists families to gain financial skills, establish a savings goal and develop long term saving habits. As an incentive to save, participants receive up to $500 in matched savings when they complete the program which can be used for educational costs such as computers and tablets, text books and uniforms.
Click Here for more information
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Helpful Services

Moneysmart.gov.au
During challenging times, making financial decisions can feel overwhelming. There's support and services available to help you. Find help with - Financial Counselling - Urgent help with money - Save for an emergency fund - Managing on a low income - Problems paying your bills
Click here for more information
St. Vincent De Paul
St. Vincent De Paul offers a wide variety of assistance to those who need it most. St. Vincent De Paul offers a wide variety of counselling, homelessness support and a mobile food van in Nowra every Tuesday. The St Vincent De Paul Society assists people experiencing poverty and inequality and works to shape a more just and compassionate society.
Click here for more information
Anglicare
Anglicare offers a wide variety of support within the Shoalhaven, including family services, op shops and a mobile community pantry that visits the region twice a fortnight.
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Nowra Community Food Store
Nowra Community Food Store in South Nowra offers the community access to affordable groceries. The store sells frozen food, drinks, cleaning and household products, fresh fruit and bread and pantry items, at a low cost. To be eligible, you must be a recipient of a Centrelink benefit.
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The Hub
The Hub in North Nowra offers the community access to general groceries at a reduced cost. The Hub is open twice a week to support people on a low income.
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Salt Church
Salt Church in Bomaderry offers a wide variety of care services in the Shoalhaven including the Salt mobile response van which offers support to homeless people, Saltbox which offers a reduced rate for groceries and Safe Shelter, a homeless Shelter in Nowra.
Click here for more information
Mobile Community Pantry
Anglicare’s Mobile Community Pantry and Mobile Community Pantry Fresh Food vans provide grocery or fresh food items at very low cost to help stretch your budget further. The Mobile Community Pantry is run in partnership with local churches and visits each location on a fortnightly basis. Community members are welcome at each site. You can make a small contribution and fill a bag with items of your choice from the stock available. $10 for groceries (EFTPOS available) and/or $2 for fresh food (bring along your Pension, Health Care or Immigration Card).
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The Ulladulla Food Store
Free fruit, vegetables and bread after buying food Low cost groceries and toiletries $5 Membership Location: Ulladulla Community and Districts Resource Centre Days Available: Wednesdays & Fridays Time: 9:30am - 11:00am
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The Salvation Army - Shoalhaven Corps
They provide limited practical assistance for low-income families and individuals who are struggling to make ends meet. You will be assessed according to need and the resources available at the centre. Monday - Wednesday 1pm-3pm Please Call 1300 371 288 162 St Anns Street East Nowra
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Services NSW
The NSW Government is helping ease the cost of living with more than 70 rebates and savings. You can browse NSW Government rebates and savings on the click below.
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Red Cross - Nowra
We work to assist our most vulnerable community members – no matter their circumstances. We work with politicians, policy-makers, organisations and the public to improve the situation of the most vulnerable people in Australia and around the world. We advocate based on direct experience and evidence, and empower people to speak out and take action to improve their lives. We will always focus on the needs and perspectives of vulnerable people, in our areas of expertise.
Click here for more information
SSPAN - Shoalhaven Suicide Prevention & Awareness Network
The Shoalhaven Suicide Prevention and Awareness Network (SSPAN) is a network of representatives from the Shoalhaven community, government and non-government organisations. They work closely with the community to raise awareness of suicide; promote recovery from mental illness; and build individual and community resilience; with the aim of reducing the impact of suicide in the Shoalhaven.
Click here for more information
EWON - Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW
Rebates, counselling and other resources to help you with paying energy and water bills.
Click here for more information
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Scam Alert!

Beware of Unauthorised Websites and Social Media Accounts.

Good Shepherd and its network of No Interest Loans (NILS) providers will never ask for private information via social media when you apply for a loan. Be cautious of scammers posing as NILS providers and avoid sharing personal details on social media platforms. To find legitimate NILS providers, use this official site.

For more information on potential scams and how to protect yourself, click here to read the joint advice from Good Shepherd and the Department of Social Services.