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Dean, who suffers from Crohn’s disease, lost his life savings. But his council said he still needed to pay his rates – The Age
The Victorian Ombudsman says banks often have better hardship policies than local councils, who have rigid policies for dealing with people unable to pay rates.
In her probe into Victorias 79 councils, the Ombudsman found widely divergent protocols. Some councils displayed good practices such as engaging with financial counsellors and recognising family violence as a sign of hardship. But other councils had inaccessible and unfair policies, she found.
In one case, a payment plan was costing a family violence victim a third of her wage.
In another case, a single woman working two jobs was accruing interest that accumulated to be more than the full rate amount….
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