Financial Support Services

Help to get you ahead

For those in our community experiencing financial stress, Jewish Care provides valuable assistance. Our financial services aim to support and assist you to develop a sustainable, long term plan to manage finances.

If you need short term assistance to get you through a tough time, need help to pay for education or want to advance an important business or personal project, Jewish Care may be able to help you reach your financial goals.

In addition to offering free and confidential financial counselling, we provide two valuable programs to help people get back on their feet. Our Jump Start program offers interest free loans to members of our community to invest in their future, while our Saver Plus partnership with ANZ and the Brotherhood of St.Laurence assists low-income families to save for their children’s education while giving families the life skills to better manage their financial situation.

Financial Counselling

Financial stress can occur for many reasons and often as a result of changing circumstances such as divorce, death of a spouse, business failure or debt issues.

Our financial counselling service is sensitive to the diverse cultural and religious needs of the Jewish community.

 

A Jewish Care financial counsellor can:

  • Provide information and options about your money
  • Assist you develop skills and strategies to address financial issues
  • Assess your financial situation and help you organise a budget and goals
  • Encourage you to manage funds and negotiate payment plans with creditors
  • Explain what you can do if you can’t pay bills, fines or debts 
  • Ensure you receive appropriate government benefits
  • Refer you to other organisations that may help you

Jump Start Interest Free Loans

Need a loan to help you learn? Jewish Care’s Jewish Mutual Loan Company has been providing interest free loans to the Jewish community for more than 100 years. Jump Start lends money to Jewish individuals without charging interest. These interest free loans enable members of the community living in Victoria fulfill a variety of financial ambitions and promote self-sufficiency with dignity.

Helping people to help themselves


Jump Start loans can support TAFE, post graduate or tertiary fees and other educational expenses, including computers, technology, books, personal development, additional tutoring, Jewish education and even travel (e.g. study trips to Israel).

Jump Start loans are an accessible way to invest in your own future by realising opportunities (education, business or personal) that require a financial kick-start.

Jump Start loans can be used to:

  • Expand business and earning capacity
  • Assist with vocational training fees 
  • Avoid delays for medical or dental treatment
  • Start on home improvements
  • Purchase a vehicle for business or personal use

Where does the funding come from?


Jump Start and the Jewish Mutual Loans Company are funded entirely by donations from individuals and companies in the community. We welcome your financial support. Your tax-deductible donation helps make a real difference in people's lives. The more donations we receive the more we can impact people's lives.

If you need a financial boost to help you achieve your goals, consider applying for a Jump Start loan.

For further information, please contact Anna Barbakh on (03) 8517 5653 or ABarbakh@jewishcare.org.au

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Saver Plus

Saver Plus is a matched savings program to help families meet their educational expenses, reach a savings goal and build money management skills.

An initiative of Brotherhood of St Laurence and ANZ, Saver Plus encourages you to save by matching every dollar of your savings (up to $500) with an additional dollar for your own or your family’s education-related expenses.


You may be eligible to join Saver Plus if you or your partner:
  • Are at least 18 years of age
  • Have a Centrelink Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card
  • Are earning some regular income from paid employment
  • Are a parent or guardian of a child at school or, be attending or returning to vocational education yourself

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Financial Aid

Offering some breathing space during times of crisis, this service aims to support people who are struggling to work towards developing their own financial security. If you are finding it hard to make ends meet, Jewish Care can provide you with financial relief to help you get back on your feet.

 

The Financial Aid program provides one-off or short-term financial assistance to meet basic living expenses that arise during unexpected or unusual circumstances and that might not be covered by government benefits, such as basic living expenses including the cost of food, clothing, accommodation, transport costs and utilities. 

Giving families
life skills to
better manage
their finances.
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