“If you’re struggling financially, never feel alone. There are always people to help … but you have to take the first step.”
As a national service, Way Forward is proud to assist more than 600 Australians who are in medium to long-term financial difficulty.
We recently spoke with one of our clients, Carlos, who wanted to share his story to educate others how asking for help is a big, brave step towards getting your finances back on track.
Carlos started taking out loans to pay for everyday expenses for his family, like food, nappies and petrol after both he and his wife lost their jobs. They were forced to sell two properties and start renting again. The mounting debt finally brought Carlos to Way Forward.
With Way Forward, Carlos worked through a budget plan and realistic debt repayment plan. He is now comfortable with his monthly payment arrangement.
“In principle we’re paying less and making just one payment to Way Forward, which makes things much easier to manage. But the most important thing is that we know we have an end date for our repayments so we can see a light at the end of the tunnel.”
For others in financial hardship, Carlos has this advice: “If you’re struggling financially or feel stressed about money, don’t feel like you’re alone in the world or that you are the only one going through that situation. Believe it or not, there are so many people in the same unfortunate situation as yourself.”
“Never feel alone because you are not. There are always people to help and so many alternatives. But you have to take that first step and … you will find a solution to your problem.”
Manageable path towards financial freedom brings relief
In Way Forward’s recent study into the mental health of our clients, we found that despite high levels of worry over their financial situation, most of our clients (83-90%) are confident they can meet their financial obligations and gain control of their finances now they have a realistic repayment plan in place.
Although every person in hardship battles a different set of life challenges, the good news is that Way Forward’s response is custom-made, considered and unanimously brings a sense of relief to our clients.
This is the impact Way Forward’s free service aims to achieve: to improve well-being in the form of a clear, achievable, dignified way out of debt.
Way Forward helps clients in three simple steps:
Step 1: We evaluate your circumstance and financial situation.
Step 2: We take over negotiations with creditors and act your behalf.
Step 3: We put together a manageable repayment plan and budget. You make one reoccurring payment to us that we then distribute to all creditors, 100% of which goes towards reducing the debt.
If you’re stuck, get help early. Pick up the phone and ask for support.
Struggling to pay for the essentials such as food and rent and want to know more about your options? Our emergency funding page lists some of the available free emergency services and funding if you live in Australia and find yourself in financial difficulty.
