Financial systems must not forget about the most vulnerable

2 April 2025

Cost of living is a body contact sport, with rising prices landing the heaviest blows on those least equipped to defend themselves. Too often ‘relief’ is provided to those with the means to access it. Those in the most acute need are left to flounder.

The federal election has been called on the back of a budget laced with general cost of living ‘relief’ morsels, such as the energy bill relief that is not even means-tested.

These gestures perpetuate a dangerous fiction: that economic hardship is merely a personal, cyclical challenge, resolvable through transactional fixes. The reality is far more complex and systemic.

This hit home to me last week when I attended the 5th Financial Inclusion Conference at Kingscliff on the NSW Far North Coast. The conference brought together financial counsellors, community organisations, local government and academia to get a full picture on the pressures faced by people living on low incomes and marginalised from our society.

The scope of financial inclusion work is broad. It transcends monetary access and encompasses providing information, advice, and critical support to those under the most financial pressure—where an energy bill or rental payment becomes a source of profound anxiety.

It’s also about explaining the way systems are rarely designed to serve the most vulnerable.

Take this example from the conference:

Some people in remote Indigenous communities have not used the same spelling of their name on all forms. The family history, and therefore their connection to their names, disjointed and disrupted across generations. Many don’t have wills. Some also don’t have access to a birth certificate or a driver's licence. So, what happens to a loved one’s super? They need to spend money on a probate process. This means they need to go online or have a lawyer witness their form, but there is unreliable internet access and no lawyers in their community. The super is frozen because systems designed to streamline efficiency end up making it harder for the people who are most marginalised.

Perhaps because this was the first time the conference had been held outside of Sydney, it also attracted elected representatives from local government across the state. Their presence was driven by traditional institutions like banks retreating from regional areas as they witness their own vulnerable communities become increasingly isolated. Into this vacuum rush predatory lenders, offering "junk loans" and payday lending schemes that cynically exploit financial desperation.

Financial counsellors report a grim pattern: whenever they enter a new community, exploitative financial "sharks" have already established their hunting grounds.

From banking to energy to daily living costs, we are witnessing a risk shift from government offering comprehensive social insurance, to a system where individuals are left to navigate complex, impersonal and exploitative systems on their own.

More than anything else, the whole discussion reinforced the need for well-resourced place-based community hubs like neighbourhood centres in every part of NSW. We can’t control the private sector and the decisions they make, but we can provide the community infrastructure to support people in need.

Until we build these types of local structures – and maintain them with secure rather than crisis or program funding – we won’t fully appreciate the barriers or render the assistance required to those in need.

NCOSS spoke with Jenni Beetson-Mortimer, Chief Executive Officer, Northern Rivers Community Gateway.

How would you define financial inclusion?
Financial inclusion is about a person’s access to the financial services. Do they have access to emergency savings in a crisis? Can they get credit if they need it? Can they secure insurance? Do they understand how the system works? Financial inclusion is strongly linked to social and digital inclusion. Where one is lacking, the others become diminished.

What was the most interesting idea that you encountered at the 5th Financial Inclusion conference?
Gareth Evans (no relation!) from Financial Inclusion UK presented on key innovative strategies that are being implemented in the UK. One was ‘Cash Perks’ which allows the transferral of funds without the need for a bank card or bank account to anyone via SMS, for the recipient to withdraw cash instantly from over 17,000 participating ATMs. It’s been adopted by councils, housing associations and charities for welfare payments and emergency situations.

Are the financial challenges vulnerable communities face by design or neglect?
As a CEO of a regional place-based organisation and chair of the NSW Financial Inclusion Network, I believe both design and neglect attribute to the financial challenges faced by vulnerable communities. Administrative burdens for vulnerable people and predatory lending are all design features of our current system. Single-contract programs risk a complacent culture of service delivery, undermine innovation, and fail to build the capacity of local organisations and service systems. As recent disasters have shown, there’s also a level of neglect through the chronic underfunding of place-based providers who have a real link to the communities they serve.

What is a practical measure you have seen assist people navigate the financial system?
Minimal recent research has been undertaken in the financial inclusion space, and we just need to know more. Because governments continue to fund many short term band-aid solutions that don’t necessarily build a person’s financial resilience to sustain them out of crisis and move them towards financial wellbeing. We need funding to pilot projects that focus on building social capital and build financial literacy particularly for young people.

Explain the human dividend of delivering these types of services?
When we support someone to make a positive financial change in their life, we’re also supporting them to make a number of other changes. Supporting individuals to move from financial crisis into recovery and wellbeing often requires them to address other vulnerabilities such as abuse, violence or addiction. For financial inclusion services to be effective, they must provide holistic, wrap around support and referrals to address these additional vulnerabilities.

What would a government committed to addressing inequality be doing now?
There would be a lot going on if government were really committed! We’d have better cooperation between the Commonwealth and States, with acknowledgement that responsibility for financial inclusion sits across all portfolios. We’d be funding research, place-based services would have core funding with longer term contracts. We’d have a diverse mix of community pilots, with a commitment to learning and scaling things that work. We’d also be investing in building digital literacy amongst vulnerable groups and normalise financial literacy education into school curriculums, community centres, and workplace programs. These measures would shift us from short term band-aid solutions to longer term early intervention and prevention strategies.

At a time when cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated and targeted, not-for-profit organisations may face disproportionate challenges when it comes to cybersecurity and digital privacy. NFPs are often responsible for protecting highly sensitive personal data but have limited resources and expertise to protect it.

To help combat these challenges, NCOSS, in partnership with WorkVentures, did an in-depth assessment of the cybersecurity practices of 14 community services in NSW to identify key strengths and weaknesses of the sector's digital infrastructure.

Join us for a free webinar to hear key findings of our forthcoming report Hidden Vulnerabilities: Cybersecurity and essential community services in NSW and ways for community organisations to more effectively safeguard their data. The webinar will be hosted by Work Ventures Cyber Security Team and NCOSS.

NCOSS members have early access to the report findings. The NCOSS member-exclusive webinar will be on Tuesday 8 April, 11am - 12pm. Register here.

For the wider sector, we are holding a webinar open to all on Thursday 8 May, 11am - 12pm. Register here.

For any questions, contact David Gbogbo, NCOSS Business Support Lead at david@ncoss.org.au.

The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is developing a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan and would like your feedback on how they can improve equity and inclusion for their stakeholders.

Your anonymous feedback will help the department improve services for everyone, making it easier for people from all backgrounds to access what they need.

You may have interacted with the department by visiting or camping in a NSW national park, visiting an NSW Heritage site, applying for energy bill rebates, applying for a native wildlife or plant licence, entering into a conservation agreement, applying for a water access licence or attending one of their events.

Find out how to attend a focus group or give your feedback at their website here.

The Australian Services Union has translated its factsheet about Family and Domestic Violence Leave into 7 languages, including Arabic, Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipino, Spanish and Igbo.

All full-time, part-time, and casual workers have access to 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave every year, from the day they start work.

Paid FDV leave can be used to access supports and services needed to be safe, such as doctor’s appointments, court attendance, moving house, changing children’s schools, seeing a counsellor, or other things you need to be safe when you are living with or leaving a violent relationship.

Find the factsheets here.

The Your Voice project hands the mic to young people aged 12 to 25 to have their say. Identifying the big issues in their lives, their experiences accessing services and what changes they want to see occur.

Following the nationwide survey, young people can be in involved in online and in-person summits and forums to workshop ideas for reform and devise actionable solutions and recommendations.

You can help by making a social post, putting up a poster, adding this opportunity to a newsletter or telling the young people in your life.

Not only does Your Voice give them a chance to be heard – they can also go in the draw to win one of 20 x $50 Visa Gift Cards.

Download the promotional toolkit here.

The Neami Employment Support Service (NESS) provides free workshops and online self-paced flexible learning to assist people whose experience of employment has been impacted by mental health challenges.

NESS is a free short-term support that addresses the mental health of job seekers and people currently employed, who are seeking specialised workplace assistance.

NESS includes group workshops and online resources. Our self-paced learning modules and practical job-seeking tools remain accessible to people throughout the program.

NESS is open to people aged 18-65 and enrolment is now open. Find out more or register your interest via our website here.

The High Stakes of Gambling: Shaping a Healthier Future
Wesley Mission & Public Health Association of Australia
9 April, Online
Free | Register here

This lunchtime seminar will offer an in-depth expert analysis and discussion on the scale and influence of the gambling sector and its parallels with the tobacco industry.

We will hear how public health approaches can be applied to prevent and reduce harm, including cross-sector collaboration, community-based screening tools, and by addressing socio-economic factors.

Understanding Child Sexual Exploitation: Policy and Practice Implications
FACSIAR
22 April, Online
Free | Register here

In this webinar, Dr Sophie Hallett from Cardiff University will present her research on caseworker perspectives on child sexual exploitation based on interviews with Australian caseworkers. The study aimed to fill a gap in Australian research and improve understanding of child sexual exploitation to help shape better policies and practices for effective prevention and intervention.

Providing Animal Inclusive Intake, Risk Assessment and Safety Planning
Lucy's Project
28 April, Online
Free | Register here

This highly practical session provides advice regarding animal inclusive intake, risk assessment and safety planning, and discusses the considerations for assisting human and animal victim-survivors to leave a person using violence.

This session will suit anyone who works directly with people and animals in the DFV, homelessness, community, animal welfare, or veterinary sectors, law enforcement, as well as local councils and state and federal governments.

Addressing the Perpetration of Violence and Digital Dependency in Young People
LEAD Professional Development
1 May, Doonside
$90 - $150 | Register here

Join us for a dynamic, solutions-focused symposium co-designed by young people and subject matter experts. This event is designed for practitioners working with young people and families across the community services, education, mental health, legal, childcare, and settlement sectors.

Together, we’ll unpack two critical and interconnected challenges — digital dependency and the perpetration of violence by young people, exploring the underlying causes, impacts, and practical strategies to better support young people, caregivers, and families.

Tackling Tobaccoultural Grants Program
Closing Date: 11 April 2025

Cancer Council NSW are currently recruiting not-for-profit, non-government Community Service Organisations to participate in the Tackling Tobacco program in 2025/26.

Successful organisations will receive newly redeveloped training for staff, dedicated support from a Cancer Council staff member, policy review/creation, Tackling Tobacco resources, and more! A financial grant of up to $5,000 may also be available on application, to eligible organisations.

For more information, please visit the grant information page.

2025 NAIDOC Grants Program
Closing Date: 21 April 2025

The Objective of the 2025 NAIDOC Grants Program is to support events and activities in NSW marking NAIDOC week that:

Celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements
Align with the theme of NAIDOC Week in 2025 - The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy
Promote a greater awareness and understanding of Aboriginal history and/or culture within the broader local or regional community.

For more information, please visit the grant information page.

Some of the latest from our Jobs Board:

Multicultural Access Program Coordinator (Western Sydney) - SydWest Multicultural Services - VIEW JOB

Case Manager The Girls Refuge (Inner City Sydney) - Detour House - VIEW JOB

Research Manager (Sydney CBD) - Justice and Equity Centre - VIEW JOB

Service Manager (Mid North Coast NSW) - Volunteering Coffs Harbour Inc - VIEW JOB

Peer Worker - Suicide Prevention (Northern Rivers) - ACON Health - VIEW JOB

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Case Worker - Homelessness Early Intervention (West Ryde) - The Northern Centre - VIEW JOB