These are the questions we hear most often in the first 30 days from beneficiaries, carers, and families. Straightforward answers. No sugar-coating. If your question isn't here, ask us at [email protected].
Common questions people ask when they first come to us. Clear, honest answers. If yours isn't listed, we're always happy to hear from you.
No. Life Without Debt is free at the point of use. We do not take a commission from any debt-resolution outcome. We are funded through donations, grants, and philanthropic partnerships.
No. We do not contact any creditor without your written authority. You stay in control at every step.
It depends on the outcome we negotiate. Some outcomes (like a full hardship arrangement) may show on your credit file; others (like a full waiver) may not. We will tell you what to expect for each option before you decide.
Most cases resolve in 6 to 12 weeks. Complex cases with many creditors take longer. Simple cases with one or two creditors can resolve in a few weeks.
Bring it anyway. We work with people whose lives are complicated — that is the point.
You can submit the intake form on their behalf if you have legal authority (enduring power of attorney, guardian, or another lawful basis). We will ask for evidence of this authority before acting on their accounts.
No. Credit repair is a different (often problematic) industry that promises to remove listings from your credit file. We do not do that. We work directly with creditors on hardship, waivers, restructures, and other legitimate resolutions.
No. A "debt agreement" is a formal insolvency process under the Bankruptcy Act. We are not a registered debt-agreement administrator. If a debt agreement is right for your situation, we will refer you to a registered practitioner.
To start, just a phone number or email. Once we have your consent to act, we will ask for the details of each debt — most people can gather this in an evening. We help if that is hard.
Only the people delivering your case. We do not share your information outside that team, except with your consent or where required by Australian law. Full detail in our Privacy Policy.
Yes. Any time, no penalty. We will summarise where things stand and hand back everything we have on your case.
That is common. Creditors often respond differently to a charity acting under written authority than to a person acting alone under stress. We are not judging what you have already tried.
Understandable. We work hard to keep the process practical and non-patronising. You are meeting a Beneficiary Liaison Officer who works cases like yours every week.
Your privacy is protected under our Privacy Policy. Complaints or feedback can be raised via our Complaints & Feedback page.
Version 0.1 · HA1 draft · Sprint 35. Related: Intake · Eligibility · For carers · For referrers