More than 169,000 people sought help from the National Debt Helpline in 2024 – a 12 per cent increase on the previous year.
The increase showed how difficult it was for many Australians to get by at the moment, said Peter Gartlan, co-CEO of Financial Counselling Australia, which co-ordinates the helpline service.
“Cost-of-living pressures are mounting and having a significant impact on the financial well-being of many thousands of Australians,” he said.
While people contacted the helpline for a variety of reasons, the main ones were housing stress, including mortgage, rent, rates and body corporate fees; utilities; credit card debt; personal loans; buy now pay later; and debts to the Australian Taxation Office.
The figures are a reminder…
