Financial Counselling Program

Unemployment, family separation, and small business failure are relatively common events, and are now the major causes of financial distress. Gambling and extensive use of credit are also factors.

ROK's financial counselling service offers confidential support, information, and advocacy, to assist you to resolve your financial problems.

We aim to assist you to regain control over your personal financial situation. Decisions remain with you, and you are encouraged to ask questions until you understand, or to seek a second opinion from a solicitor or accountant, for example.

ROK is an independent agency which is not related to any commercial or government organisation.

FAQs on Financial Counselling Service:

How can ROK's Financial Counsellor help?
How to use the Financial Counsellor?
Who is eligible for Financial Counselling?
How can I access the Financial Counselling Service?
What does it cost?

ROK's Financial Counsellor can help you by:

• Counselling - individual, couple and family sessions.
• Assessing your financial situation
• Negotiating payments to creditors on your behalf.
• Providing information about credit laws, and any legal action which may have taken against you.
• Helping you to organise your budget
• Informing you about government assistance
• Informing you about Bankruptcy and other options and assisting you to complete any documents relating to these
• Informing you about any statutory protection which might apply to you.

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How to use the Financial Counsellor

The Financial Counsellor provides individual confidential consultations, in person or over the telephone. If you believe that a telephone consultation may meet your needs, please ask to speak to the Financial Counsellor when you first ring.

It may be that you need to bring in documents and meet with the Counsellor in person. The following documents may be useful, and should be brought to the first interview. Wherever possible original and complete documents should be brought:

• Loan contracts, insurance policies connected with the contract, car purchase agreements, receipts related to deposits, etc.
• Current bills, statement, and demands
• Letters from creditors
• Any document which you believe is related to your indebtedness
• Anything related to current Centrelink entitlements
• A basic budget averaged over your pay cycle period
• A full list of creditors, containing names, addresses, account numbers, balances, and purposes of borrowing
• If you are a small business operator, a recent profit and loss statement or balance sheet.

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Who is eligible for Financial Counselling?

People experiencing financial difficulty, who live or work in the Cities of Whitehorse and Maroondah, are eligible to receive this service.

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How can I access the Financial Counselling Service?

Telephone ROK on 9894 1966, during business hours, to speak to the Counsellor or to make an appointment for an interview.

Appointments may be made Monday to Friday, 9-5pm. Some evening consultations may be arranged.

What does it cost?

All ROK programs are free.

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