A helping hand for members

Life has its ups and downs and when times get tough a little help can go a long way. 

When unexpected illness or injury strikes it can be hard to stay on top of daily living expenses. To help support HESTA members get back on their feet we’ve teamed up with the Welfare Rights Centre, a not-for-profit organisation.

This free service for HESTA members helps them to maximise Centrelink entitlements. These payments can include Sickness Allowance, Disability Support Pension and the Family Tax Benefit. The service is available to all HESTA members. This is especially important when claiming income protection insurance, where members require additional support when they are unwell or injured.

Welfare Rights Centre Principal Solicitor, Katherine Boyle, said that often HESTA members may not be aware of what help is actually out there. 

“We often receive calls from members who really need our help and it’s great to be able to assist them in understanding their Centrelink entitlements, and to navigate the processes,” Katherine said.

Katherine explained that the members they help are often experiencing financial difficulty and having extra support and someone to talk to can make a big difference.

“People sometimes feel like there is no-one they can turn to in these situations and just being able to talk about what’s happening and getting some clarification can really help, especially as there are so few avenues to get advice about social security law,” Katherine said.

As well as providing advice on social security, the Welfare Rights Centre also puts members in touch with other services, if required.

“When we talk to a HESTA member we try to get an idea of what’s going on in their life generally, and if we identify that additional support is required, we refer them to other specialist organisations for advice and assistance,” Katherine said.

Tackling financial exclusion

Every year, more than 3 million people in our community are
financially excluded and are unable to access adequate, affordable and
appropriate financial products and services.

HESTA believes financial security shouldn’t be just for a lucky few. Financial exclusion can mean people have difficulty accessing things most of us take for granted. This can include accessing a bank account or a credit card. People impacted by financial exclusion also have a higher likelihood of experiencing financial hardship and stress. Women are among those most likely to be impacted.

We’re committed to building the financial resilience of our members and Australian society more generally. That’s why, in 2016, we were the first industry fund to launch a Financial Inclusion Action Plan (FIAP). Our partnership with the Welfare Rights Centre is part of our FIAP commitment, which sets out a range of actions we’re taking to make a real, long-lasting positive impact for our members and the community.