2. Acknowledgement to Country
I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet today. I would like to acknowledge and pay my respects to elders, both past and present and extend that to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who also are present.
As a proud Dunghutti man, I thank you for welcoming me and allowing me to share my program with you all on your country.

3. Financial Rights Legal Centre What we do
We are a community legal centre specialising in financial services, particularly in the areas of consumer credit, banking, debt recovery and insurance.
We operate three advice lines:
National Debt Helpline (NSW)
Insurance Law Service (National)
Mob Strong Debt Help (National)
This presentation is for information only. You must seek legal advice in relation legal advice in relation to any particular circumstances.

4. Meet the Mob Strong Team
Mark is a Dunghutti man who has worked with Financial Rights since the beginning of Before then, Mark worked for several years in the Community Legal Sector including Legal Aid and the Environmental Defenders Office and two years as an inspector with the Australian Competition Consumer Commission.
Suwana is a proud Dunghutti/Bundjalung woman who has been working at FRLC since early Prior to this she was working in various health positions in research, design and delivering programs.

5. Service Delivery Legal Advice Financial Counselling Legal fact sheets
Representation
Community Education
Legal Tasks
Outreach
Legal fact sheets
Sample letters
Online enquiries
Outreach – communications plan to travel national especially to communities where there is active limited support services.
Community - Education
Legal Advice –
Legal Tasks –
Representation –
Financial Counselling -

6. Case Study – Consumer Credit
Sharnie
29 year old Aboriginal woman with 2 kids with her partner
Applied for a car loan with Lender when she was 22 years old.
Car was worth $24,000 but $9,000 worth of junk insurance was added
Lender never properly assessed whether she was able to repay the loan (including checking her bank statement when she had other loans to pay)
Loan was unaffordable and Sharnie had to sell the car, but left with a $29,000 shortfall.
What we did
Sought documents for the loan from Lender
Got a Financial Counsellor to assess Sharnie’s income and expense
Lodge a responsible lending dispute with Lender. First with their internal department then with the Financial Ombudsman Service
Lender agreed to refund $19,000 to Sharnie

7. Case Study – Insurance Joanne
Aboriginal woman who applied for funeral insurance for herself and her son and made repayments since 1996
Son passed away in 2017 from suicide and Joanne applied to insurer to cover the funeral expenses of $19,000
The insurer refused this because of ‘changes to the law last year which prevent any claim if the cause of death was suicide’. Offered $2,200 refund for past premium payments.
What we did
Called the insurer with Joanne on the phone and confirmed their reasons for refusal.
Raised a dispute with the insurer regarding the policy that it stated the exclusion applies if the deceased died by suicide within 12 months of their policy commencing.
The insurer agreed to pay out Joanne’s claim fully.

8. Mob Strong Debt Help Why might you need to call?
Credit card
Personal loans
Mortgage
Consumer leases
Phone/utility debts
Bankruptcy and debt agreements
Payday loans
Car insurance
Funeral insurance
Pet insurance
Life insurance
Home and contents
Debts to insurance companies
Travel insurance

9. Mob Strong Debt Help Contact Information
Suwana Combo – Aboriginal Service Coordinator
Mark Holden – Solicitor
FREE CALL