Witcom Financial Hardship Policy
Financial Hardship
January 2021
Witcom Telecommunications Pty Ltd (WITCOM, we, us, our), ABN 11 125 770 961
www.witcom.com.au (WITCOM, we, us, our)
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Introduction
FINANCIAL HARDSHIP is generally understood to be a situation where a customer is unable to discharge their
financial obligations in relation to their WITCOM services, but where the customer reasonably expects to be
able to discharge those obligations if payment and/or service arrangements were changed. Financial hardship
can be of limited or longer-term duration.
In times of genuine hardship, WITCOM understands both the customers and/or their authorised
representative/s deserve easy access to empathetic and skilled staff, who can assist in a timely manner.
WITCOM will provide this service by training staff appropriately.
WITCOM considers financial hardship a state that involves an inability of the customer to pay bills, rather than
an unwillingness to do so. For this reason, WITCOM staff are trained to identify a genuine willingness to pay
and good indicators include an established payment history with WITCOM.
Common grounds for financial hardship include:
Loss of employment of the customer or family member;
Family breakdown;
Illness, including physical incapacity, hospitalization, or mental illness of the customer or family member;
A death in the family;
Other factors resulting in unforeseen change in the customer’s capacity to meet their obligations.
Managing your claim
Eligible customers include residential customers and small businesses governed by the Telecommunications
Consumer Protection Code. When deciding if a customer is eligible for a financial hardship arrangement,
WITCOM may seek evidentiary proof such as:
A statutory declaration or official written communication from a person familiar with the customers
circumstances (family doctor, clergy, bank officer, accountant etc);
Evidence of the customer having consulted with a recognised financial counsellor or a booking to see a
financial counsellor and/or Statement of financial position.
We may use the above information to make an assessment as well as other information available to us. If we
do not receive the requested information an assessment may not be able to be made, and therefore assistance
would not be provided. An agreed financial hardship arrangement should be sufficient to cover expected
future use of the service (as adjusted to ensure the customer's financial position does not worsen over a
reasonable period). The arrangement should also provide a continued reduction of debt at a reasonable level.
WITCOM staff will retain discretion to determine what level of service this includes, but the customer will
always maintain access to receive incoming calls.
Witcom Financial Hardship Policy
Once your eligibility for financial hardship assistance is agreed, we will work with you to develop an
arrangement that will help you through your period of financial hardship – for example, a payment
arrangement.
Your responsibilities:
You must make the agreed payments on the agreed dates and notify us if you are unable to keep your
commitment
You must contact us if your circumstances change favourably or unfavourably during the term of the
arrangement
You will act honestly at all times throughout the course of the arrangement
Termination of the arrangement:
In the event the arrangement is not adhered to and the customer has not contacted us, we will take
reasonable steps to contact the customer or their authorised representative before taking further action and
terminating the arrangement.
The parties can also terminate the arrangement by mutual agreement.
Following termination, credit management action may be resumed.
Making an enquiry
You can contact WITCOM in the following ways:
- Phone: 1300 123 837
(8:30am – 5:30pm, Monday–Friday, excluding Public Holidays)
- Mail: Attention: WITCOM Financial Hardship Case Manager
PO Box 475, IVANHOE VIC 3079
- Email: admin@witcom.com.au
Attention: WITCOM Financial Hardship Case Manager
