Care Inc and the Salvation Army have received much needed government funding to help provide a No Interest Loan Scheme that assists Canberrans with cost of living pressures.
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The 2012-13 ACT Budget provided $740,000 over four years for the expansion of the No Interest Loan Scheme in Canberra.
The scheme gives concession card holders and low to middle income families access to loans of up to $1200 to purchase necessities including white goods, furniture, electrical items and health aids without having to resort to high-cost lenders.
The Salvation Army divisional mission and resource director, Captain Christine Gee, said a NILS program had been provided for years on a small scale without ACT government funding, but in the past it couldn't afford to hire dedicated staff to concentrate solely on implementing the program.
“We've been running the program with very little money for quite a few years,” she said.
Care Inc director Carmel Franklin said her organisation had operated the scheme in the ACT since 1997 with a small amount of ACT government funding.
“NILS has existed within both our organisations for a period of time but the programs have been so small we haven't really been able to go out and advertise it because we had such limited capacity,” Ms Franklin said.
The funding would cover administrative costs so Care Inc and the Salvation Army could hire dedicated staff to promote and deliver the program.
“It's also going to allow us to be able to provide appointments in a range of locations across the ACT. We will now have the capacity to work with other organisations to be co-located,” Ms Franklin said.
“It means it will be more accessible to people.”
Captain Gee said the funding would allow the scheme to be accessible to a greater number of people in need.
“For us it will also mean we can address a backlog of people that have shown interest or need for a program such as this,” she said.
Ms Franklin said the scheme had the potential to offer a better quality of life for people in need.
“We've had people get washing machines because they've been hand washing for their family because they hadn't been able to afford a washing machine,” she said. “I think it has a huge, positive impact on people because it allows them to purchase goods that can improve their lives.”
Through a separate ACT government funded initiative, CARE Inc will also now provide a new Financial Hardship No Interest Loan Program for individuals on low to middle incomes who find themselves unable to cope financially with changes in their circumstances.
Unlike NILS they do not have to be concession card holders to qualify.
For more information regarding the No Interest Loans Scheme, visit www.assistance.act.gov.au
- The Chronicle
