Banks say the Financial Assistance Hub can help households, farmers and small businesses reach hardship teams before missed payments build.
The Australian Banking Association on Wednesday pushed its Financial Assistance Hub to households, farmers and small businesses facing pressure from fuel supply uncertainty, higher living costs and loan stress.
ABA chief executive Simon Birmingham said banks stood ready with practical measures and urged customers not to wait until they fell behind.
“Our message to all customers is that you don’t have to tough it out on your own – contact your bank,” Mr Birmingham said.
Birmingham’s latest call for customers to contact banks early follows earlier warnings about pressure in the wider payments system. In September 2025, NewsBlaze reported that the new ABA chief supported ending card surcharges but warned against interchange changes that could raise costs elsewhere or strengthen big tech payment platforms.
The industry group said temporary help may include moving borrowers to interest-only repayments for a period, deferring payments, reducing or waiving fees in hardship cases, extending loan terms to cut monthly repayments, giving flexible access to savings or term deposits for short-term cash flow, and offering emergency credit limit increases or temporary overdrafts.
The ABA also launched a fresh awareness campaign on Wednesday under the line, “Don’t tough it out on your own – banking support when it matters most.”
Financial Assistance Hub Directs Customers to Hardship Teams
The Financial Assistance Hub gives customers a direct path to hardship contacts at participating banks and breaks support into home loans, credit cards, personal loans or buy now pay later, business loans and agribusiness.
The hub also points people to outside support services, including the National Debt Helpline, Small Business Debt Helpline, Beyond Blue, Lifeline and rural counselling services.
Mr Birmingham said the right response would differ from case to case, which made early contact critical.
“The best support for customers will differ from case to case, which is why it’s important to contact your bank early,” he said.
He said banks had specialist teams ready to work with small businesses, farmers and communities dealing with cost pressures or supply chain disruption linked to global conflict.
The message continues the ABA’s “Don’t tough it out on your own” campaign, which the industry group launched in 2023 and extended in 2024.
For customers under pressure, the Financial Assistance Hub now sits at the centre of the ABA’s message: contact the bank early, check the options early, and act before a short-term squeeze turns into missed payments.
Australian Banking Association and Financial Assistance Hub logos combined.
