A Stronger Safety Net: The case for a community financial rights service for Queenslanders
Financial services for disadvantaged Australians are critical to end cycles of poverty and to address economic inequality. In recognising this, Australian governments have in recent decades established dedicated Financial Rights Services for their residents—free legal services often combined with financial counselling for people struggling with a range of financial and consumer issues.
In Queensland, there is an opportunity to lead the way with a service that integrates legal assistance, financial counselling, and social supports under the one roof. At the moment individuals have limited access to free legal services through general community legal centres, legal aid and Indigenous legal services. These services are already stretched or are lacking in the specialist knowledge required to address complex areas of law.
A Stronger Safety Net outlines why a Financial Rights Service is needed in Queensland, how such a service would operate, and how it would benefit not only those who use the services, but all Queenslanders.
September 2024
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