Financial Hardship or Difficulty

What can Rabobank do?

If you find yourself experiencing financial difficulties, contact your Rural Manager or your nearest Branch and let them know you wish to apply for financial relief.  

There are different ways to get financial assistance:

• Call your Rural Manager or 1300 30 30 33 between 8am and 6pm (AEST) Monday to Friday or

• You may wish to complete a Request for Financial Assistance Form or Statement of Financial Position and post/email to your Rural Manager , or your nearest Branch or to Client Services Unit at:

  Client Services Manager

  Rabobank

  GPO Box 4577

  Sydney NSW 2001

  or sydney.client.services@rabobank.com

• If you are using a financial counsellor and you prefer Rabobank to discuss your situation directly with your financial counsellor, please also complete the Financial Counselling Agency Authorisation Form and post or email this with a Financial Counselling Agency email or cover letter to your Rural Manager or to your nearest branch.
  For more information on this process, please refer to the Financial Counselling Agency Guide.

Once notified, your Rural Manager will start working to assess what arrangements may be appropriate. We will respond promptly to any request for assistance from you or your authorised representative in relation to financial difficulties.

If you have a joint account with someone and you are experiencing financial difficulty we can assist you. If you ask us to, we can do so without involving the other person initially.

If you’re not satisfied with the financial difficulty assistance we’ve provided, you can contact our Client Services Unit on 1800 025 484. This can also be raised directly with your Rural Manager or by contacting your local Rabobank branch on 1300 30 30 33. If you still feel like you haven’t been heard then you can contact the Australian Financial Complaints Authority. Information on how we handle complaints can be found on our Compliments and complaints page.

What are the options?

While suitable financial assistance arrangements may vary depending on individual circumstances, some measures that may be considered by Rabobank include:

• Deferral of scheduled loan payments
• Waiving certain fees and charges
• Waiving break costs on early redemption of Rabobank Australia Limited issued deposits.
• Agreeing to an alternative arrangement or contract
• Changing the terms of the loan
• Allowing you time to sell one or more of your assets
• Providing information about insolvency arrangements

Australian Government Assistance 

The Australian Government provides a number of assistance measures to support farm families, farm businesses and rural communities to prepare for, manage through and recover from drought and other hardship. Further information on the measures included in the initiative can be found on their website.

Where to go for more information

• The Banking Code of Practice ("the Code") outlines your rights if you are experiencing financial difficulties with your credit facility. Rabobank Australia Limited is a subscriber to the Code.
• The ABA’s ‘DoingItTough’ website provides information about financial hardship, including how to identify if you’re experiencing financial hardship, how to apply for hardship assistance, and tips to help you manage your money. 
• ASIC’s ‘MoneySmart’ website MoneySmart.gov
• After speaking to your Rural Manager, you may wish to seek advice from a professional financial counsellor about your options. For more information about financial counselling services, go to Financial Counselling Australia’s website or phone the toll-free number on 1800 007 007. Financial Counselling Australia