Payment Difficulty and Hardship Archives - Consumer Action Law Centre

Banks should take more responsibility for scams

The Treasurer’s proposed transformation of the regulation of payment systems is an opportunity to embed financial safety, and ensure protections are built in from the outset says Consumer Action's CEO...

Image of light bulbs denoting a submission about energy

Payment difficulty framework implementation review: feedback on key review questions

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has provided feedback on the Essential Services Commission’s key review questions as part of their review of the implementation of the energy payment diff...

The Life Insurance Code final round of consultation

Financial Rights Legal Centre, Consumer Action Law Centre and Redfern Legal Centre have made a joint submission to the final round of consultation on the review of the Life Insurance Code of Practice...

Consultation on Owners Corporations Amendment Regulations 2021

Consumer Action has made a submission to the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety relating to proposed Owners Corporation Amendment Regulations.The submission argues that the regulatio...

Supporting South Australian Council of Social Service’s submission to the Remote Area Energy Supply Scheme Issues Paper

Samantha Rudolph is a Wurundjeri woman, and the Aboriginal Policy Officer with Consumer Action Law Centre. She works as part of an integrated practice project addressing the systemic causes of consume...

Energy Assistance Report: Second Edition

This is Consumer Action Law Centre’s (Consumer Action) second Energy Assistance Report, following our previous report published in July 2019. The original report explored whether the introduction o...

Telstra Energy – application for electricity and gas retail licence raises questions

This submission is made jointly to the Essential Services Commission from the Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Counselling Australia, Financial Counselling Victoria and the Victorian Aboriginal L...

2022 Victorian Default Offer

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (the Commission) consultation paper, Next steps for the Victorian Default Offer (the Consultation Paper). The...

Consumer issues in Victorian Aboriginal communities during 2020

A report Consumer Issues in Victorian Aboriginal Communities during 2020 published today by Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) uses quantit...

Telco conduct harming customers reveals why self-regulation is a failure

A new report by Financial Counselling Australia has criticised the selling practices, customer service and financial hardship programs offered by the telco industry in the wake of COVID-19, revealing ...

Federal Court finds multiple breaches of Australian Consumer Law in relation to credit repair, but not debt management

Federal Court finds multiple breaches of Australian Consumer Law in relation to credit repair, but not debt management The Federal Court has found that J Daniels & Associates (JDA), a debt mana...

We support enhanced protections for South Australians from payday loans and high-cost leases

Consumer Action has provided a submission on the draft Fair Trading (Small Amount Credit Contracts and Consumer Leases) Amendment Bill 2020 (SA) (the SA Bill). Consumer Action strongly supports the...

Submission to the Essential Services Commission on the Victorian Default Offer

Consumer Action has made a submission to the Essential Services Commission on the Victorian Default Offer electricity price that is to apply from 1 January 2021. We consider that there is room to r...

Supporting energy customers through the coronavirus pandemic – Draft Decision

COVID-19 has caused significant disruption to households in Victoria and has highlighted the need to ensure that people’s health is not put at risk because of barriers to accessing energy for appropri...

Submission to the Senate Select Committee on COVID-19

Our clients have been affected by the COVID-19 emergency, and the Australian Government’s response, in a number of ways. In many cases we have experienced a short-term decrease in demand on financi...

$3.7 million package announced for Victorians struggling with energy bills

Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Gerard Brody says that the Victorian Government’s $3.7 million package for people having difficulty paying their energy bills is a well-timed funding boost as we head in...

Over 1,000 requests to disconnect Victorians for not paying their electricity bills during Covid-19 health crisis

The latest figures from the Essential Services Commission (ESC) reveal that more than 1,000 requests have been made to disconnect Victorians from electricity for not paying their bills since late Marc...

Keep communities connected, urge more than 40 community organisations across Australia

As more people face the prospect of losing work due to the COVID-19 health crisis, community organisations are calling on banks, telcos, energy retailers, and rental providers to help people stay con...

A little relief will go a long way for thousands struggling due to COVID-19

Widespread disruption caused by COVID-19 is being felt across Australia. It won’t be long before we have thousands of people trying to survive on a reduced income, worried about whether they can pay t...

Households in embedded networks need fair electricity prices
Maximum prices for embedded networks and other exempt sellers Consultation Paper

Households in embedded networks are often in effective monopoly situations with little regulatory oversight. For this reason, they need the same or better protections than their peers with conventiona...

Maintain households’ rights when accessing essential energy services
Australian Energy Market Commission Issues Paper 2; Consumer Protections in an Evolving Market: Traditional Sale of Energy - 2020 Retail Energy Competition Review

As new energy products and services create more options for consumers to access energy offers with non-conventional pricing or features, the complexity of making decisions increases and poses more ris...

Implement strong protections to ensure households benefit from new energy technology
Australian Energy Market Commission Issues paper one: Consumer Protections in an Evolving Market: New Energy Products and Services - 2020

Consumer Action’s legal and financial counselling services have regularly assisted consumers experiencing harm as solar technology grows in popularity in Victoria. Our Power Transformed, Knock It Off!...

Lack of minimum efficiency standards put renters at greater risk of energy debts
Department of Justice and Community Safety - Residential Tenancies Regulations 2020 Regulatory Impact Statement

The financial counsellors working on Consumer Action's National Debt Helpline service provided financial counselling to over 11,000 people in the 2018/19 financial year. Often issues with low quality...

Royal Commission into Mental Health Terms of Reference Consultation

Cashless Debt Card undermines the role of the market in serving consumer and community interests
Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee – Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Income Management to Cashless Debit Card Transition) Bill 2019

Much of the Federal Government’s effort to address cost of living pressures involves making it easy to switch and exercise choice, for example, through the new Consumer Data Right. However, the Cashle...

New telco industry data highlights urgent need for effective regulation and enforcement powers to protect Australians

New complaints data released by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) emphasises the clear need for regulation and strengthened regulator enforcement powers to protect Australians from poor...

“I don’t want other women falling into the same trap.” Victorian woman joins Canberra delegation to urge Government to stop predatory payday lenders

A Victorian woman who has suffered at the hands of payday lenders has an important message for the Government about the dangers of payday loans as she joins the Stop the Debt Trap Alliance, a coaliti...

New Energy Tech Consumer Code must protect Australians from exploitative buy now pay later arrangements
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission - AA1000439 New Energy Tech Consumer Code Application for Authorisation Draft Determination

Consumer Action regularly assists vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers in Victoria with legal and financial issues that arise due to new energy technology such as solar. . The New Energy Tech Consu...

Ensuring energy contracts are clear and fair, ESC Issues Paper
Essential Services Commission - Ensuring Energy Contracts are Clear and Fair Issues Paper

Deregulation in Victoria’s energy retail market has not delivered fair outcomes for all households accessing their essential energy services. The State Government has taken a number of steps to hel...

Banks should recognise that anyone can become vulnerable: Submission to ABA Guideline on Customer Vulnerability
Australian Banking Association - ‘Every Customer Counts: Better banking for vulnerable customers’ Guideline

There are any number of reasons why a person would be unable to unwilling to speak up when they are struggling with their financial situation. Who among us hasn’t faced a financial issue at one poi...

National Consumer Congress Keynote Address: How to deliver better outcomes for vulnerable consumers in regulated markets

The following keynote speech was delivered by Consumer Action CEO, Gerard Brody at the National Consumer Congress 2019 on Thursday, 14 March 2019 in Melbourne. Today I want to ask whether w...

The justice system could better respond to the needs of people affected by misconduct in the finance sector
Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee - Resolution of disputes with financial service providers within the justice system

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has recommended that financial service providers be required to improve their approach to dispute resolution in its comments to the Senate Legal and Consti...

National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening Protections for Customers in Hardship) Rule 2018 Draft Rule Determination
Australian Energy Market Commission - National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening Protections for Customers in Hardship) Rule 2018 Draft Rule Determination

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening Protections for Customers in Hardship) Rule 2018 Draft Rule...

Submission: draft Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code
Communications Alliance - Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code (Draft Industry Code)

Consumer Action Law Centre together with WEstjustice made a submission to the CommsAlliance on the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code Draft (DR C628:2018) (draft Code), which has been produc...

Submission: Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct Bill) 2018

Energy Retail Code obligations for exempt sellers under the General Exemption Order 2017: Draft Decision
Essential Services Commission - Energy Retail Code obligations for exempt sellers under the General Exemption Order 2017 (Draft Decision)

Consumer Action has made this joint submission alongside VCOSS. Embedded networks have presented serious difficulties for energy consumers for far too long, and the General Exemption Order 2017 is...

National Energy Guarantee Draft Detailed Design Consultation Paper – Commonwealth Elements
Minister for the Environment and Energy (Parliament House) - National Energy Guarantee Draft Detailed Design Consultation Paper (Commonwealth Elements)

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the National Energy Guarantee (Guarantee) Draft Detailed Design Consultation Paper for Commonwealth Elements (Co...

National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening protections for customers in hardship) Rule 2018 consultation paper
Australian Energy Market Commission - Consultation Paper on National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening protections for customers in hardship) Rule 2018

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening protections for customers in hardship) Rule 2018 Consultatio...

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