Can't keep up with your mortgage, loan, credit card or energy bill? You have the right to ask for help. Answer a few simple questions and get a ready-to-send letter, plus a clear plan for what happens next.
Takes about 3 minutes. Free. Private: your answers stay on your device and are never sent to us.
Pick any that apply. You don't need to share your life story, just the main reason.
Pick any that would help. Only ask for something you could manage.
Be realistic. It's better to offer a smaller amount you can keep up than a bigger one you can't. Enter 0 if you can't pay anything right now.
These details only go into your letter. Nothing is sent to us.
Read it through, change anything you like, then send it today. Keep a copy and write down the date you sent it.
If you're struggling to pay your mortgage, credit card, personal loan, car loan or energy bill, you don't have to face it alone. Australian law gives you the right to ask for help. This free tool writes the letter for you and shows you exactly what happens next.
What you owe, who it's with, what happened and what you can afford. It takes about 3 minutes.
A clear, polite hardship letter you can edit, copy, print or email to yourself, plus a follow-up letter if you need it.
Know when your lender has to reply, what to do if they say no, and where to get free help.
Loans and credit cards: If you have a personal or household loan or credit card, you can ask your lender for a hardship variation under section 72 of the National Credit Code. Your lender must consider your request and give you a decision in writing within 21 days. If they say no, they must tell you why.
Electricity and gas: Energy retailers must help customers who are having trouble paying. That includes offering to let you pay in smaller, regular amounts, helping you check for rebates and concessions, and telling you about free financial counselling. You can ask for a payment plan even if you're not in their hardship program.
Only ask for an arrangement you can actually keep up. A smaller amount you can manage is better than a bigger promise you can't.
A hardship letter is a written request to your lender or energy retailer explaining that you're having trouble paying, why, and what help you're asking for. Putting it in writing gives you a clear record of when you asked.
Yes. If you have a personal or household loan or credit card, the National Credit Code lets you ask for a hardship variation, and your lender must consider it. Energy retailers must also help customers who are struggling to pay. Your lender or retailer doesn't have to agree to everything you ask for, but they must consider your request.
For consumer loans and credit cards, your lender must give you its decision in writing within 21 days. If it asks for more information, send it as soon as you can.
According to Moneysmart, a hardship arrangement does not affect your credit score. It will show on your credit report, and that listing is removed after 12 months. Late payments that were listed before you asked for help can still stay on your report, which is another reason to ask early.
Your lender must give you reasons if it refuses. You can make a complaint to your lender, and if that doesn't fix it, complain for free to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) on 1800 931 678. While an AFCA complaint is open, your lender can't take legal action against you. Our tool also creates a follow-up letter you can send.
Yes. You can ask your energy retailer for a payment plan, even if you're not in its hardship program. If you keep up with your agreed payment plan, your retailer can't disconnect you. If your retailer won't help, contact the energy ombudsman in your state.
Yes. Keep paying whatever you can afford, even if it's less than usual. It shows good faith, and it keeps your debt from growing as quickly.
The 21-day rule in the National Credit Code covers personal and household credit, not business loans. You can still ask for help, and many lenders follow a code of practice. The free Small Business Debt Helpline on 1800 413 828 can help.
Yes. It's free to use, and everything you type stays on your own device. Your answers and your letter are never sent to us.
No. This website gives general information to help you ask for help yourself. For free, confidential advice about your situation, call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.
The information on this site is based on official and community legal guidance, checked in October 2026: