A Dubbo-based coordinator of No Interest Loans (NILS) is concerned low income earners facing increased financial pressures might take up other credit options that cost them "a lot of money".
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She wants people facing hardship to know NILS provides loans of up to $1500 for eligible low income earners for essential goods and services, like fridges, washing machines, car repairs, educational resources and medical procedures, with repayments set at 12 to 18 months.
Unlike some providers of credit, there are no fees, charges or interest.
Ms Garnsey has been NILS coordinator at Anglicare, which administers the program throughout NSW, for almost a decade and reports of the difficulties people can find themselves in before they come to her for help.
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"Yes, and I see - because we go through bank statements, so we see lots of bank statements and they are committed to those other providers, they're already in debt to them, paying back big money," she said.
"So we try to tailor a payment plan, so if they can't do it in the 12 months, we get them to do it over 18 months.
"And even if they find during that 12 months, that they've struggled, and all these other expenses have popped up, they just need to talk to us, and we can reduce their payments down, until they get back on top of things again."
Dubbo's Carina Mullen is a past client and knows what it's like to have done careful budgeting - only to have a vital household appliance "die".
The single mother of four children recalled the stress of an unexpected expense.
She said at times her situation would have been "very tight" had she not been able to access NILS.
Through it, and at different times, she had been able to buy a fridge, washing machine, kitchen table and air conditioner, she said.
..with kids, one week you can feel like, yep, on top of everything, this is all good, got your set budget, got your routine, and then just one thing happens, and it's just domino effect, that goes down with it.
- Dubbo mum Carina Mullen
Ms Mullen spoke publicly about accessing the program through Anglicare, in the hope that it would help other families.
"...with kids, one week you can feel like, yep, on top of everything, this is all good, got your set budget, got your routine, and then just one thing happens, and it's just domino effect, that goes down with it," she said.
Ms Mullen said a lot of people didn't ask for help because they felt like they were "getting judged", but she never felt like that at Anglicare and the program had helped her in more ways than she could say.
"...I'll admit if I didn't go for the loans I went through, I don't know how, it would have been very tight," she said.
NILS is in its 40th year.
"It was through the Good Shepherd sisters down in Melbourne, they realised that single mums and families were being excluded from getting good, ethical credit, so they started this program," Ms Garnsey said.
The Anglicare coordinator hopes to make the program more widely known.
"When I talk to people they didn't know it was happening except a family friend or somebody told them, or they've missed this opportunity and they've taken up other options that are costing them a lot more money," she said.
"If people want to find out more about us, ring 1800 644 556 or go on the Anglicare website."
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