Early Release of Superannuation Benefits – Under Compassionate and Financial Hardship Grounds and for Victims of Crime Compensation – Joint Submission

Submission to: Senate Select Committee on the Cost of Living
This submission describes the cost of living pressures facing people seeking financial counselling support, which is showing up in increasing demand for financial counselling. The rising cost of living has a disproportionate affect on people with the least economic resources. The submission recommends further increases in the rates of JobSeeker and pension payments to prevent poverty, reviewing the supermarket unit pricing code to help people make informed shopping choices, regulation of Buy Now, Pay Later providers and wage advance products under the credit laws, waiving of persistent credit card debts by financial institutions and adequate funding for financial counselling.

Submission to: AFCA
Joint submission (led by Consumer Action) about proposed changes to AFCA’s rules. Amongst other things, the submission supports expanding AFCA’s rules to exclude paid representatives that do not act in a consumer’s best interest, increasing potential payments for non-financial loss and allowing AFCA to consider complaints where there has been a full and final settlement if the financial services firm acted unfairly. The submission also makes recommendations about the circumstances in which a complainant may be excluded.