Skip to content
How it worksGuidesToolsInsightsAbout
Start hereDonate
Donate

Terms of Support

These terms set out what TEKVA provides, what we ask of you, and how support is reviewed.

They apply to everyone TEKVA supports. Where we agree to fund something, we'll confirm that specific help with you in writing, including the amount, the purpose and how it's paid.

Everything TEKVA provides to participants is free. There's no fee at any stage, and we take no commission or referral payment from creditors or providers. Grants aren't a loan and are never repayable.

How support works

Four things to know

01

Most support isn't money

Hardship help, financial counselling and AI upskilling are the bulk of what we do. All of it is free, and it's open to you whether or not we fund anything.

02

Where we do fund something, it has to make a real difference

Funding goes to agreed purposes that help you get back to earning and stay stable. We pay providers directly. We don't make cash payments to participants.

03

You'll always know where you stand

We'll tell you what we can do, what we can't, and when something changes. Support isn't open-ended, and we won't leave you guessing about where it ends. We won't end support without telling you first.

04

If we're not the right fit, we'll still point you somewhere useful

Coming to TEKVA isn't a wasted trip. If your situation needs a different service, we'll help you find it.

Scope of support

What TEKVA does and doesn't do

TEKVA provides crisis triage, practical support, referral coordination and financial counselling.

Financial counselling is free, confidential and independent. It's delivered by an FCAN-registered Financial Counsellor. We charge you no fee, and we take no commission or referral payment from creditors, lenders or service providers.

Financial capability support is provided by a Financial Capability Worker. It's coaching: building the skills and confidence to manage money, working through decisions, and putting practical habits in place. It's distinct from financial counselling and doesn't include credit advice or creditor negotiation. That work sits with our Financial Counsellor.

We don't provide financial product advice, legal advice or insolvency advice.

Where you need specialist support beyond our scope, we connect you with qualified professionals. That includes other registered Financial Counsellors, practising solicitors, registered tax agents and registered insolvency practitioners.

Information on this website, including anything produced by our online tools, is general in nature. It isn't professional advice. You're responsible for obtaining advice suited to your own circumstances.

What we ask of participants

TEKVA support is a partnership. We ask for five things

Open communication

Tell us when something changes: your circumstances, your income, your situation. We can only help with what we know about.

Follow-through where possible

We don't expect perfection. We do expect you to take the agreed next steps when you're able.

Willingness to engage

Engage with the process: assessments, conversations, paperwork. We work with you, not around you.

Respect for agreed steps

Where we've agreed on a plan, hold to it. If it isn't working, tell us so we can adjust.

Shared responsibility

Your situation, your decisions. Our role is to support, not to take over. The work is shared.

Types of support

What we offer and how it works

Hardship Support

Help with immediate pressure. Hardship letters, sequencing what to deal with first, vendor engagement, escalation paths.

Financial Counselling

Free, confidential and independent. Provided by an FCAN-registered Financial Counsellor: understanding debts, options and priorities. Plus financial capability coaching from a Financial Capability Worker.

AI Upskilling

Practical help getting back to income. Job search, applications and interviews, and using AI in the work you already do or the work you're moving into. Also useful if you run a small business or you're buried in admin. Plus free public tools that anyone can use.

Emergency Grants

Limited financial support, only where it'll change the trajectory. Paid directly to providers. Not a loan, and never repayable.

Reviews and ending support

What happens if something goes wrong

Where support is ongoing, we'll agree with you when we're checking in and what happens next.

We may pause or end funded support if:

  • funds are used for something other than what was agreed
  • the information you give us isn't true
  • new commitments make the agreed plan unworkable and we can't find a way forward together
  • you stop engaging with the agreed steps

Free financial counselling, capability coaching and our tools stay open to you either way.

We may also need to pause support if our own funding or capacity runs short. That's not a judgement about you. If it happens, we'll tell you, and we'll help you find another option.

If we're considering pausing or ending support, we'll talk to you first. You'll have a chance to explain, and to put things right where that's possible. If you disagree with a decision, you can ask us to review it. Email support@tekva.org.au or use our contact form, and we'll come back to you.

By applying for and receiving TEKVA support, you agree to these terms. Where we fund something, that specific help is confirmed with you in writing.

See what's open nowPrivacy policy

Fast support and free tools for Australians in financial difficulty.

Donate

Tax-deductible · DGR-1 endorsed

Fast support and free tools for Australians in financial difficulty.

Donate

Tax-deductible · DGR-1 endorsed

Get support

Start hereHow TEKVA worksWhat TEKVA helps withEligibility & rulesFAQ

Resources

Just lost your job? Start hereDisplacement Field ManualSmall business in crisisFree hardship letter generatorJob loss action planFinancial runway calculatorFree financial hardship guidesEnergy bill help (NSW)Know your financial rightsService directory

Get involved

Partner with usHire with TEKVABecome a mentor

Company

About TEKVAImpactInsightsHow we use AIBuild with TEKVAAI for nonprofitsWhy nowAI Displacement MonitorContactPrivacyTermsLicensing

Financial counselling at TEKVA is delivered by an FCAN-registered Financial Counsellor. Financial capability support is provided by a Financial Capability Worker, whose scope is capability support only — no credit advice or creditor negotiation. Credit advice and creditor negotiation sit with our Financial Counsellor. We also provide crisis triage, practical support, and referral coordination. We do not provide AFSL-licensed financial product advice, legal advice, or insolvency advice. Where another service is the better fit, we'll help connect you with community services, tenancy help or specialist legal support.

ACNC RegisteredDGR-1 Endorsed↗ABN 88 689 519 686

© 2026 TEKVA. All rights reserved.

·

L9, 151 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000

Australian residents only