Who to turn to, by what is going on
| What is going on | Where to turn |
|---|---|
| Debts building up, or a budget that will not balance | The National Debt Helpline, on 1800 007 007 on weekdays from 9:30am to 4:30pm, with a live chat on weekdays from 9am to 8pm. |
| Wanting someone in your area | A Financial Wellbeing Program partner for your region; SA.GOV.AU lists one for each part of the state, from Northern Adelaide to the Far North. |
| No money for food, bills or rent this week | The same regional partners, for emergency help such as vouchers for food, chemists or transport, help with rent or bills, and material aid. |
| An electricity debt and a disconnection threat | A financial counsellor, who can apply on your behalf for the Emergency Electricity Payment Scheme (Folio 02). |
| Checking which concessions you might get | The ConcessionsSA Hotline, 1800 307 758, 9am to 5pm on weekdays, or the Concession Finder on SA.GOV.AU. |
| A problem with a business or a product | Consumer and Business Services, which takes calls for advice on 131 882 from 9am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. |
| Money lost to a scam, or details handed over | Your bank first, then the reporting services listed in Entry 3 below. |
What financial counselling is
The helpline’s own site describes financial counselling as a not-for-profit service that is always free and confidential, given by counsellors who do not lend money or sell anything. Its guides cover debt problems, rights and living costs, including electricity, alongside the phone line. The Department of Human Services says the free service is available across the state, by phone or through a referral to someone nearer to where you live.
The Department also links Affordable SA, a resource hub run by the Salvation Army for South Australians dealing with the cost of living.
Scams: the three-step routine the state teaches
Consumer and Business Services reports that South Australians lost more than $6 million to scams in the first half of 2026, with the largest losses to investment scams, account takeovers and buying-and-selling scams. Email was the most common way scammers made contact, ahead of phone calls and text messages. Its advice comes in three steps.
- Stop. Pause before handing over money or personal details. Scammers create a sense of urgency, and the advice is to say no, hang up or delete a suspicious message.
- Check. Confirm the person or organisation is real by contacting it through details from its official website or app, not the ones in the message. For investment offers, CBS points to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. CBS also suggests running it past someone you trust, whether family, a friend or a professional.
- Protect. Act fast. Contact your bank straight away if money or banking details have gone. If personal information has been shared, CBS points to IDCARE for help limiting the damage. Report the scam to Scamwatch, or a cybercrime to ReportCyber, change passwords, and watch bank statements and credit reports.
Bills owed to government
Some of the bills that weigh on a household come from government itself, and each has its own way of spreading the cost. RevenueSA lets owners pay the emergency services levy over four monthly instalments, or agree a payment plan before the due date (Folio 03). It offers extended instalment arrangements for land tax (Folio 04). The City of Adelaide has payment plans and a hardship process for council rates (Folio 05). In each case the agency asks to hear early: RevenueSA asks owners struggling to keep up a payment plan for the levy or land tax to contact it as soon as possible, and the City of Adelaide’s hardship page encourages ratepayers to get in touch early.
Next in the book: Folio 01, Cost of Living Concession