We are committed to providing support to our customers affected by family violence.

We will achieve this through training and support of our employees and distributors, engaging you with sensitivity, dignity, respect and compassion and protecting your information and privacy. We will also refer you to specialist support services that can help you with family violence.

Your safety is paramount to us

Whenever family violence is identified or suspected, our priority is the safety of the person affected by family violence and the protection of their family. We will strive for the early recognition of family violence.

How we will deliver on our commitment

1. We will ensure our employees and distributors have training so that they are aware of our family violence procedures and can identify and deal appropriately and sensitively with customers affected by family violence.
2. We will protect private and confidential information of customers affected by family violence through ensuring we have processes in place to secure this information.
3. We will minimise the number of times that our customers need to tell us that they have been affected by family violence.
4. Our claims handling processes will be considerate and sensitive should our customers need to make a claim under their insurance policy with us, and they are affected by family violence.
5. We will adopt a different process and consider the risk if we are aware that a customer’s debt involves a situation of family violence.
6. We will provide our customers with access to Financial Hardship help and include customers affected by family violence in our internal financial hardship guidelines.
7. We will inform our customers, employees, distributors and service suppliers about information and support processes available to assist customers experiencing family violence.
8. We will refer our customers, employees and distributors to specialist services.
9. We will support our employees and distributors who are affected by family violence or where they have assisted a customer affected by family violence.

What is family violence?

Family violence is “violent, threatening or other behaviour by a person that coerces or controls a member of the person’s family … or causes the family member to be fearful.”*.

* Family Law Act 1976 (CTH), section 4AB

Family violence includes physical violence, emotional abuse, financial or economic abuse and damage to property.

Specialist services

The following organisations can assist you with family violence issues:

Domestic violence advice and support

1800RESPECT: www.1800respect.org.au or at 1800 737 732 (24 hours)

24 hour national sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault.

NSW Domestic Violence Line: www.facs.nsw.gov.au or at 1800 656 463 (24 hours)

The Domestic Violence Line is a NSW statewide telephone crisis counselling and referral service for women, including trans women.

Lifeline: www.lifeline.org.au or at 13 11 14

Lifeline is a national charity providing all Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.

Relationships Australia: www.relationships.org.au or at 1300 364 277

A leading provider of relationship support services for individuals, families and communities. It aims to support all people in Australia to achieve positive and respectful relationships.

Men’s Line Australia: www.mensline.org.au or at 1300 789 978

Supports men and boys who are dealing with family and relationship difficulties. 24 hour telephone and online support an information service for Australian men.

ACON: www.acon.org.au or at (02) 9206 2000

LGBTI health organisation offering information, referrals, counselling, advocacy and practical support for LGBTI people in NSW experiencing family and domestic violence