Financial Hardship Policy

1. What is financial hardship?

Financial hardship is when you are willing but unable to pay your bills. It can happen to anyone for many reasons, including:

• Loss of employment or reduced income;
• Illness, injury, or unexpected medical costs;
• Family violence;
• Separation, divorce, or loss of a partner;
• Natural disasters or emergencies;
• Mental-health conditions affecting daily activities.

2. Our commitment

If you tell us you are in financial hardship, we will:

• Treat your situation confidentially and with respect;
• Work with you to find a sustainable arrangement within 5 business days;
• Not disconnect your service while a hardship arrangement is being negotiated in good faith;
• Suspend late-payment fees and any debt-collection activity during the assessment period;
• Refer you to free financial counselling if you'd like independent support.

3. The options we offer

Depending on your situation, we may be able to:

• Payment plan — split overdue amounts into smaller weekly or fortnightly instalments.
• Payment extension — extend the due date for the current invoice.
• Plan change — move you to a smaller or cheaper plan without penalty.
• Temporary disconnection — pause your service for up to 3 months without losing your account or service number.
• Waiver of fees — waive late fees, reconnection fees, or other reasonable charges in exceptional circumstances.
• Debt deferral or partial waiver — in very serious cases of long-term hardship.

4. How to apply

1. Get in touch by phone, email, or SMS (details below). The earlier the better — we can do more before an account becomes overdue.
2. We'll ask about your circumstances and what you can comfortably afford to pay. Supporting documents (e.g. a Centrelink statement or letter from a financial counsellor) help but aren't always required.
3. We'll propose an arrangement within 5 business days, in writing.
4. If you agree, we'll set it up and confirm in writing.
5. We'll review the arrangement with you at agreed intervals to make sure it's still working.

5. Free independent help

You don't have to do this alone. Free, confidential financial counselling is available from:

• National Debt Helpline — 1800 007 007, weekdays 9:30am–4:30pm. ndh.org.au
• MoneySmart (ASIC) — free guidance at moneysmart.gov.au
• Lifeline (if you're feeling overwhelmed) — 13 11 14, 24/7.

6. Contact our Hardship Team

2GoBroadBand Hardship Support
Phone: 1300 677 185 (ask for "Hardship")
Email: [email protected] (subject: Hardship)
SMS: 0456 783 922
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 am – 6:00 pm AEST/AEDT

7. If you're not happy with our response

If we cannot reach an agreement, or you believe we have not handled your hardship request fairly, you can escalate it through our Complaints Handling process or contact the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) at www.tio.com.au or 1800 062 058 for free, independent resolution.