Hardship Guide

Billie is Here to Support You

We understand that life doesn't always go as planned. That's why Billie exists - to provide you with access to a short-term pay advance / short-term loan when it matters most.

If your situation changes and you're facing challenges in meeting your repayments, we're here to help you explore options and find a way forward.

What kind of events or circumstances can cause financial hardship?

Financial hardship occurs when a change in your circumstances impacts your ability to meet financial obligations, such as making repayments. It's a situation that can happen to anyone and may arise from various unexpected challenges, including:

  • Significant life events such as a relationship breakdown or a death in the family;
  • Financial abuse where the financial liability arose from a situation of family and domestic violence or financial difficulty being experienced by a person leaving a violent relationship;
  • Prolonged illness (psychological or physical) or injury impacting income;
  • Involuntary unemployment;
  • Reduced income due to involuntary reduction of hours, salary decreases or downturn in business; and
  • Emergency event or natural disaster

If you're facing financial hardship, it's important to reach out for assistance. Support is available to help you manage during these difficult times.

How we can help

Because our pay advances / short-term loans are designed to be repaid within 62 days or less, any support options focus on helping you meet your obligations within the existing loan term. We generally do not extend the contractual term beyond the original agreed term.

If you're experiencing financial hardship, our goal is to work collaboratively with you to find a fair and practical solution to help you regain stability. We'll carefully review your application for financial hardship and, depending on the outcome, provide tailored options for assistance where applicable.

If you think you may need support due to financial hardship, you can reach out to us via email at support@billie.loans.

We're here to help you navigate this challenging time and get back on track.

Information we may ask for to help make our assessment

During any stage of the assessment, Billie may require you to provide further information to enable us to decide whether you will be able to meet your obligations and what support options are available. Such information may include:

  • recent bank statements;
  • current financial information (including details of income, expenditure, assets and liabilities);
  • letter from an employer;
  • notice from Centrelink;
  • medical documentation (certificates, reports, etc.);
  • death certificate; or
  • other legal documentation.

Billie will not make this onerous upon the customer and information requested will only be relevant to the assessment of hardship.

How Long Does the Assessment Take?

After receiving your financial hardship application, we will conduct a thorough assessment before providing you with a written response. Our goal is to provide a written outcome within 21 days of receiving your application. If additional documents or information are needed, the timeframe may be extended to 28 days from the date we request those materials. We're committed to keeping you informed throughout the process and ensuring timely communication.

What If My Hardship Application Is Declined?

Your request for financial hardship may be declined for the following reasons:

  • Insufficient Information: If you are unable to provide the requested information or fail to give a valid reason for not supplying it within 21 days of our request.
  • Long-Term Situation: If your financial situation is determined to be long-term, meaning there is no anticipated improvement within six months based on your account history.
  • Ability to Pay: If the assessment shows you have sufficient surplus funds to cover repayments and arrears, contradicting your claim of financial hardship.

If your application is declined, you will receive a written notification outlining the reasons for our decision.

If you have any questions, please contact Billie at hardship@billie.loans.