Financial Hardship Policy

We're here to support you.

At LIVA Telecom, we are committed to treating customers fairly and respectfully. We understand that financial difficulty can arise unexpectedly and may be short-term or ongoing.

If you are experiencing financial hardship and are having difficulty paying your bills, you have the right to request assistance.

We are committed to working with customers facing financial hardship to help maintain access to essential internet and phone services wherever possible. Disconnection will only be considered as a last resort.

Depending on your circumstances, we may offer payment plans or alternative support options.

Financial hardship assistance is provided free of charge.

This policy applies to all residential and small business customers of LIVA Telecom.

Arranging a Payment Plan

You do not need to provide evidence of hardship to request a standard payment plan.

You can arrange a payment plan:

• Online through your LIVA Telecom customer portal (available 24/7)
• By calling our Customer Support team on 1300 345 148 during the business hours.

If you require accessibility assistance, you may use the following Australian Government services:

• National Relay Service: 133 677
• Translating and Interpreting Service: 131 450

We welcome feedback on how we can improve accessibility.

Additional Support Options

Depending on your circumstances, LIVA Telecom may offer:

Options to help keep you connected:

• Spend controls
• Temporary service restrictions
• Temporary plan downgrades (at no additional cost)

Financial assistance arrangements:

• Payment deferrals or postponements (outside of structured payment plans)
• Alternative arrangements, plans or contracts, including discussion of prepaid services
• Waiver of late payment fees where appropriate

You can discuss these options with a Financial Hardship Officer by:

• Phone: 1300 345 148
• Email: hardship@livatelecom.com.au

Eligibility for Further Support

To assess eligibility for additional hardship assistance, we may ask you to complete a Financial Hardship Application Form available on our website.

In some cases, we may request supporting documentation, such as:

• A statutory declaration or written communication from a support organisation familiar with your circumstances
• Evidence of consultation with a recognised financial counsellor
• A summary of your financial position

Supporting documents may be emailed to hardship@livatelecom.com.au

We may be unable to fully assess your situation without the requested information.

You will not be required to provide supporting documentation if:

• You are affected by family or domestic violence; or
• You are seeking short-term assistance.

Assessment Process

Once we receive the required information, we aim to assess your circumstances and provide an outcome within 5 working days.

When assessing your application, we may consider:

• Your income and financial commitments
• Information provided by financial advisers or support organisations
• Your previous payment history with LIVA Telecom

Our goal is to establish an arrangement that assists you in managing payments without causing additional financial strain.

If approved, we will:

• Work with you to agree on a sustainable arrangement;
• Confirm the arrangement in writing (by email or letter);
• Obtain your agreement before the arrangement commences.

You must notify us if your circumstances change during the arrangement so that we can review it where necessary.

We do not charge for hardship assessments or administration.

If we are unable to offer hardship assistance, we will inform you as soon as reasonably practicable after assessment.

If You Disagree with an Assessment

If you would like a review of the outcome of your hardship assessment, you may lodge a complaint through our Complaints Handling Process.

You can lodge a complaint by:

• Phone: 1300 345 148
• Email: complaints@livatelecom.com.au
• Online complaint form via our website

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of our internal dispute resolution process, you may contact the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) for independent dispute resolution:

• Phone: 1800 062 058
• Website: tio.com.au

Making a complaint does not affect your eligibility to receive hardship assistance.

Access to Financial Counselling

Free financial counselling is available through the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.

You can also locate a financial counsellor near you at: www.ndh.org.au

Further Information

For more information about financial hardship support, please contact our Customer Support team on 1300 345 148.

Customers must notify LIVA Telecom if their financial circumstances change during an agreed hardship arrangement so that the arrangement can be reviewed where appropriate.

If we determine that financial hardship assistance cannot be provided, we will notify you promptly following assessment.