Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00133:reg:5:p2
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00133
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 5 (pt 2/4)
Character Range: 6459–9712

risks that are relevant to the provider; or

       (b) collect outstanding debts from customers.

    customer means a consumer who has entered into a consumer contract with a provider and includes a current customer of a provider or former customer who owes money to a provider in connection with their consumer contract.

    disconnection means the termination of a telecommunications service provided to a customer under a consumer contract.

    discount means a reduction of the ordinary amount of a charge or billed charge.

    financial hardship means a situation where:

       (a) a customer is unable to discharge their financial obligations owed under their consumer contract or otherwise discharge their financial obligations to a provider, due to circumstances, including:

           (i) personal or household illness;

           (ii) unemployment;

           (iii) low or insufficient income, including reduced access to income;

           (iv) being a victim survivor of domestic or family violence;

           (v) a death in the family;

           (vi) a change in personal or family circumstances;

           (vii) a natural disaster;

           (viii) unexpected events or unforeseen changes that have impacted the customer's income or expenditure; or

           (ix) other reasonable causes; and

       (b) the customer considers that they will be able to discharge those obligations if an agreed arrangement for financial hardship assistance relating to the supply of telecommunications products by the provider is implemented.
    financial hardship assistance means the assistance a provider offers to help financial hardship customers to continue to access their telecommunications products or to pay a debt owed to the provider.
    financial hardship customer means a customer who is, or may be, experiencing financial hardship or other financial difficulties.
    long term assistance means financial hardship assistance sought by a financial hardship customer for a continuous period of more than 3 billing cycles to help with ongoing financial difficulties.

       options for assistance include:

       (a) temporarily postponing, extending or deferring the time for paying a bill;

       (b) discounting a bill charge;
(c) applying a credit to the customer's account;

       (d) waiving a debt;

       (e) payment plans which are tailored to meet a customer's ability to pay;

       (f) establishing an arrangement whereby the provider matches payments made by the customer or gives credit in exchange for payments made by the customer;

       (g) controls on how a customer can incur charges with the provider, including spend controls;

       (h) restrictions;

       (i) removing non-essential features of a telecommunications product at no cost;

       (j) transferring the customer to a different telecommunications product that better suits their circumstances;
(k) adjusting internal threshold limits so that the customer is not disconnected; or

       (l) offering a free non-automatic payment method.

       Note:  This definition does not limit the number of options a provider can offer or accept to help financial hardship customers with their bills.
    payment assistance policy means