Reports and Submissions
Read the latest reports and submissions from FCVic on a range of topics significant to financial counsellors, consumer advocates and the wider community.
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Submission to the Senate Inquiry into the purpose, intent and adequacy of the Disability Support Pension
- Published: 23 July 2021
- Topics: Social Security and Centrelink
FCVic welcomed the opportunity to make a submission to the Senate Inquiry into the purpose, intent and adequacy of the Disability Support Pension (DSP) in close consultation with our Centrelink Working Group.
Financial counsellors in Victoria work with and represent large numbers of clients who interact with the Federal systems of support, in particular the DSP and JobSeeker, and have considerable insight into the problems people encounter in accessing those systems and making them work fairly and supportively. This submission, drawing on client experiences and our members’ professional observations, raises a number of concerns about the DSP failing to provide support to many vulnerable community members and people living with a disability.
Submission to the Diploma of Financial Counselling (CHC51115) Case for Change: Public Consultation
- Published: 22 July 2021
The Case for Change document proposed a series of significant changes to the Diploma, and the Board engaged in a detailed discussion of these proposals, resolving to make a submission to the consultation process on them.
In its submission, the FCVic Board agreed with the recommendation for a review of the existing financial counselling units. However, the Board was not able to fully support the proposed addition of two newly developed units (including a proposed unit on Small Business) and the removal of two units from the core of the qualification without more detailed information.
Submission to the Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence
- Published: 6 June 2021
- Topics: Gambling related harm
Developed in consultation with the Gambling Issues Working Group, FCVic’s submission to the Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence outlines Crown Casino’s failures to take meaningful steps to reduce and minimise gambling harm have continued to cause significant harms to the Victorian community.
As the peak body for financial counsellors in Victoria, FCVic has had considerable and long-term feedback from our members raising concerns about clients experiencing harm from Crown Casino – either directly as a gambler, or as a family member or other person affected by gambling.
The major failings financial counsellors identify in Crown’s obligations to (and care for) its customers at risk of gambling harm include:
- Failure to effectively support patrons to establish and maintain self-exclusion arrangements
- Crown providing benefits, services or products to solicit increased customer gambling
- Crown ignoring evidence of customers experiencing gambling harm and inducing further losses
Submission on the National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Supporting Economic Recovery) Bill 2020
- Published: 25 February 2021
- Topics: Responsible Lending
FCVic joined FCA and the other state financial counselling bodies in making a joint submission to the the Senate Economics Committee inquiry into the National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Supporting Economic Recovery) Bill 2020.
In the submission, the financial counselling sector opposes the Federal Government’s Bill which proposes to remove responsible lending obligations for banks and other lenders. The submission cites examples of irresponsible lending from financial counselling casework to highlight the danger of removing these key consumer protections.
Submission to the Bankruptcy Regulations 2021 Exposure Draft Consultation
- Published: 20 January 2021
- Topics: Bankruptcy, Debt Agreements and Insolvency
FCVic’s submission on the draft regulations drew on the expertise of the Bankruptcy Working Group, which involves FCVic members with particular interest in bankruptcy issues encountered in their practice.
The Bankruptcy Working Group discussed and considered the exposure draft and were able to identify positive inclusions in the draft regulations, as well as provide comments in support of the joint consumer groups submission on the exposure draft, authored by Financial Legal Rights Centre, Consumer Action Law Centre and Financial Counselling Australia.
New Costs to Count: the experiences of financial counsellors working during COVID-19
- Published: 1 December 2020
- Topics: COVID-19, Worker Wellbeing
In September 2020, Financial Counselling Victoria (FCVic) conducted a survey of Victorian financial counsellors to better understand how the sector has changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resulting report, New Costs to Count, provides a snapshot of the financial counsellors’ experiences, which shows the complexity of the changes wrought by the pandemic in its first nine months.
The report also considers – in the context of the issues identified in our earlier report (Counting the Costs published January 2020) – how COVID-19 has impacted on the existing levels of work-related stress, and what opportunities there are to introduce more sustainable work practices to minimize the risk of work overload and burnout.
We’ve made recommendations in the New Costs to Count report to enable funding bodies, agency employers and financial counsellors to address the issues identified and create a safer working environment for practitioners.