Reports
Read the latest reports from FCVic on a range of topics.
Reports
FCVic reports cover a range of topics relevant to the Victorian public, consumers in financial hardship and the consumer advocates who work with them.
Often FCVic reports are submitted to government or launched through media channels. The issues FCVic represents are significant to financial counsellors, consumer advocates and to the wider community. FCVic also works with a number of other organisations that research and release consumer focused reports.
THURSDAY 3 DEC 2020
New Costs to Count: the experiences of financial counsellors working during COVID-19
In September this year, 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.
FCVic makes 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.
TUESDAY 4 FEB 2020
Counting the Costs: report on financial counsellor stress and work overload
The level of risk of harm for financial counsellors from their work has risen to unacceptable levels in recent years, with little coordinated effort being put in place to manage those risks appropriately.
In 2019, Financial Counselling Victoria (FCVic, formerly FCRC) conducted an extensive survey of the state’s financial counsellors in order to measure the levels of stress and burnout experienced by the sector. The results – based on responses from more than 160 practitioners – paint a clear picture of unsustainable workloads and mounting pressures which pose a serious threat to the well-being of financial counsellors.
Through the recommendations of the report, we are eager to work with financial counsellors, their employing agencies and funding bodies to address and resolve the causes of the current situation.
MONDAY 14 OCT 2019
The Experience of (Not) Living on Newstart: Data and stories from financial counselling clients
Between February and May 2019, 111 people who were clients of financial counsellors shared their stories about trying to live on the Newstart allowance. They also provided information about their weekly income and expenditure showing that it is simply impossible for many people to make ends meet on the current rate.
THURSDAY 27 APR 2017
Rank the Telco 2017
The Rank the Telco report describes the results of a survey of Victorian financial counsellors about the hardship practices of major telecommunications providers. It is FCRC’s fourth report ranking financial hardship practices, and our first to examine the telecommunications sector.
The results of this report evidence the need for improvement and warrant serious consideration by the telecommunications industry, regulators, government and other stakeholders. Providers now have the opportunity to take the lead and work to significantly improve hardship performance, both individually and across the industry.
WEDNESDAY 21 DEC 2016
Dignity & Debt Evaluation Report
Considerable structural changes in the aged care landscape in recent years have impacted on the financial literacy of the Older Person population to manage their finances. The Dignity and Debt Financial Difficulty and Getting Older initiative was designed to address these issues by assessing the effectiveness of one-on-one financial counselling sessions with Older Persons.
FRIDAY 23 SEP 2016
Rank the Energy Retailer 2016
The ‘Rank the Energy Retailer’ survey provides insight and analysis into the efficacy of Victorian energy retailer practices when dealing with customers experiencing financial hardship. 70% of financial counsellors in Victoria undertook the survey to provide their input.
FRIDAY 31 JUL 2015
Car Registration by Instalments
In June 2015, Colac mother and financial counsellor Julie Barrow started a petition on change.org asking, the Victorian Government to provide affordable payment options for annual vehicle registration costs. As of July 2017, 100,000 people have signed the petition. Media attention was attracted, with 3AW’s Neil Mitchell and ABC Radio, both covering the petition, and discussing the potential benefits of payment by instalments.
FRIDAY 15 AUG 2014
Rank the Energy Retailer 2014
After the success of our ‘Rank the Bank’ surveys, FCRC introduced the ‘Rank the Energy Retailer’ survey. Over 100 Victorian financial counsellors undertook the survey to provide their input. Our report reveals the efficacy of Victorian energy retailer practices when dealing with customers experiencing financial hardship.
WEDNESDAY 15 AUG 2012
Rank the Bank report 2012
The FCRC Rank the Bank survey assessed the opinions of more than 100 Victorian financial counsellors with regards to the financial hardship policies of Australia’s ‘big four’ banks, namely ANZ, CBA, NAB and Westpac.