Financial help idea rates highly

CASEY residents struggling financially could benefit from a City of Casey Council plan to boost financial counselling options in the municipality.
The lack of free financial counselling services in Casey came up when council officers submitted a report at Tuesday’s council meeting about financial hardship of residents and possible methods to pay rates and council bills.
They found many residents, for whatever reason, got themselves into a situation where they could not afford to pay rates or bills.
The officers also discovered a serious shortage of financial counsellors in Casey, with none employed by the council.
The only funding provided by the council for this service was to the Cranbourne Community Information Service and Casey North Information Service.
Mayor Kevin Bradford said only four financial counsellors worked in Casey – two volunteers and the other two who only worked four days a week.
Cr Bradford said if residents had trouble paying rates, the council would direct them to seek financial advice, for which they would have to pay.
“Interest rates are going up and people are struggling,” he said.
“It’s not just council rates.”
Councillor Lorraine Wreford said there had not been any extra funding in that area for a long time and it was the council’s responsibility to lobby to get the service in Casey.
At the council meeting, councillors voted that the council encourage ratepayers to contact the City of Casey in advance of due rate payment if financial circumstances arose, and to lobby state and federal governments for increased funding for financial counselling.