If you are worried about paying your rent, don’t wait until you have fallen behind. Talk to your landlord or real estate agent to see if you can negotiate a reduced rent, a temporary freeze on payments or delay your rent payments for a set amount of time.
If you’re unable to work, check with Centrelink to see if you are eligible for any benefits. If you already receive Centrelink benefits such as the Age Pension, Carer Payment or Disability Support Pension you may be able to get Rent Assistance. To check eligibility requirements, visit Services Australia.
Visit Communities and Justice or your local tenants advice service for information about assistance that may be available in NSW. You may also find it helpful to talk to a financial counsellor or a community legal centre.
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Rania Tannous, Head of Legal, Corporate, Legal and Governance, AMP; Patricia Troll, Senior Legal Counsel, AMP Financial Services Legal, Legal and Governance, AMP; Lynette Brailey, Program Coordinator, Financial Assistance Service, Cancer Council NSW; Stephen Bray, Financial Planner, FM Financial, TAS; Angela Daly, Senior Social Worker, Cancer Services, The Adem Crosby Centre, Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, QLD; Sandra Hodge, Consumer; Sandi Johnson, Consumer; Antony Mitchell, Financial Counsellor, Financial Counselling Program, Cancer Council VIC; Lucy Pollerd, Social Worker, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Heather Richards, Consumer; Deb Roffe, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council SA.
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