Supporting Victorians through financial hardship.
Preventing crisis. Strengthening community wellbeing.
Every day our financial counsellors help people navigate debt, cost-of-living pressures, gambling harm, energy hardship and complex life challenges, and create better outcomes for individuals, families, communities and government.
Financial Counselling and Wellbeing
Helping Victorians navigate financial hardship, recover from crisis and build stability.
Financial hardship rarely exists in isolation.
People experiencing monetary stress are often also navigating family violence, gambling harm, illness, disability, unemployment, caring responsibilities, housing insecurity or other complex life challenges. Without the right support, money problems can quickly escalate into homelessness, poor health, relationship breakdown and long-term disadvantage.
Uniting’s Financial Counselling and Wellbeing services provide free, independent and confidential support that helps people overcome immediate financial crises while building long-term resilience.
Every year, we support thousands of Victorians to understand their options, negotiate with creditors, access entitlements, reduce debt, manage essential household costs and regain control of their future.
Why financial counselling matters
Financial hardship affects people from every community and every stage of life.
A relationship breakdown, illness, job loss, rising living costs, gambling harm or an unexpected life event can quickly place someone under severe financial pressure.
Many people don’t know their rights, what assistance is available or how to negotiate with banks, utilities, debt collectors or government agencies.
Uniting’s qualified financial counsellors provide expert advocacy that helps people make informed decisions, resolve money problems and prevent small issues becoming lifelong crises. Our counselling is always free, independent and in the best interests of the person seeking support.
The impact of financial counselling
Financial counselling changes lives.
It reduces financial stress today while improving long-term outcomes for individuals, families and communities.
Uniting’s work helps people:
- avoid unnecessary legal action and debt escalation
- keep essential services connected
- remain in safe housing
- access financial entitlements
- reduce stress and improve wellbeing
- rebuild confidence and independence
- make informed decisions for the future.
For government, financial counselling reduces pressure across housing, health, mental health, justice and emergency relief systems by intervening before financial hardship becomes crisis.
Why invest in financial counselling?
Demand for financial counselling continues to grow as Victorian households face increasing cost-of-living pressures and more complex financial challenges.
It is a highly effective early intervention that helps people resolve problems before they escalate into homelessness, family crisis, poor health outcomes or long-term dependence on emergency services.
Investment in financial wellbeing strengthens communities, improves financial resilience and ensures people can access expert support when they need it most.
Who we help
Uniting’s services support people experiencing financial vulnerability for many different reasons, including:
- rising cost of living
- explain their rights and responsibilities
- negotiate with creditors
- prioritise debts and essential expenses
- access hardship arrangements
- identify concessions and entitlements
- provide advocacy and practical solutions.
We don’t judge, sell products or manage people’s money. We empower people to make informed decisions, navigate complex systems and regain financial control.
Financial Wellbeing
Our Financial Wellbeing Program combines counselling with capability-building support to address both immediate stress and the underlying causes of financial hardship.
Support may include:
- budgeting assistance
- money management education
- help completing paperwork
- accessing community supports
- building long-term capability
- improving confidence and resilience.
The program aims to reduce financial crisis, strengthen long-term capability and improve stability, safety and wellbeing.
Client & Carer Wellbeing Services
At Uniting, our Client and Carer Wellbeing Services includes embedded financial wellbeing supports that provide timely, integrated assistance to carers and care recipients accessing the Support for Carer and Additional Respite programs.
Working alongside support planners, our financial counselling team assists people experiencing financial hardship, cost-of-living pressures, debt, and financial abuse to navigate complex financial challenges while maintaining their caring role.
This integrated approach enables carers and care recipients to access specialist financial counselling and financial capability support as part of their broader care journey, reducing financial stress, strengthening financial wellbeing, and supporting carers to sustain their health, resilience, and ability to continue caring.
Financial Counselling stories
