About

Arrears to Answers is an independent information site for people in Australia who are behind on debts or worried they soon will be. It explains, in order, the options from the least to the most serious: hardship requests under the National Credit Code, free financial counselling and informal payment plans, debt agreements under Part IX of the Bankruptcy Act 1966, personal insolvency agreements under Part X, and bankruptcy.

Each guide shows how the rules work, uses illustrative households and figures to show the arithmetic, and points to official sources: the Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA), ASIC and Moneysmart, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) and the National Debt Helpline.

We are not a debt management firm, debt agreement administrator, trustee, lender or law firm. We do not arrange debt agreements, refer readers to paid providers or take commissions. Nothing on this site is legal, financial or credit advice, and it does not consider your personal circumstances. Thresholds and rules change, so check the current position with AFSA and other official sources, and talk to a free financial counsellor (1800 007 007) or a community legal centre about your own situation.

How this site is made

Arrears to Answers is an independent information project. Guides are drafted with the help of AI writing tools and checked against official and primary sources before publication; see our Editorial Policy. We are not affiliated with any provider mentioned on the site and do not sell products or services.