Financial and legal matters

Independant financial advice

A life-limiting illness can significantly impact a family's financial situation.

Financial changes may include:

• health-related expenses, such as medication, equipment, and specialist fees
• transport, accommodation, childcare, or complementary therapies costs
• loss of income
• difficulty paying off debts and bills.

If you or a family member is affected by a life-limiting illness, we recommend getting independent support or advice from a financial counsellor, legal representative, social worker, or another relevant service.

Australian Government support

Pensions and allowances

Check your eligibility for the following pensions and allowances:

• Disability Support Pension
• Concession and Health Care Card
• Rent Assistance
• Mobility Allowance
• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

Financial Information Service

Services Australia offers a free, confidential information and education service about financial issues.

Find out more about the Financial Information Service.

Medicare

Medicare is a national scheme providing Australians (and some overseas visitors) with free subsidised health services.

Find out more about Medicare.

Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme Safety Net Card

The Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme Safety Net Card can help reduce costs for those who spend a lot on medicines.

Queensland Government support

Rent, rates, water and electricity assistance

You may be eligible for rent and/or financial support from the following:

• Queensland Government rental grant
• Queensland Government bond loan
• National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS)
• rebate, concession or negotiate a payment arrangement on your electricity and gas bills
• rebate on your water bill through your local council
• concession entitlement, rebate or a payment plan on your council rates
• a payment arrangement for your telephone bill

Find concessions and rebates that can help ease cost of living pressures while you are unwell.

Transport assistance

You may be eligible for a range of services that assist with transportation:

• Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme—help with travel and accommodation costs. You may be eligible if and your carer need to travel more than 50km to access specialist treatment that are not available locally
• Queensland Taxi Subsidy Scheme
• Non–emergency medical transport
• Community transport options
• Royal Flying Doctors Service
• Disability parking permit scheme

Other financial considerations

Insurance

Ask your employer or insurance company about:

• income protection
• mortgage protection
• life insurance
• trauma insurance.

Superannuation

Ask your superannuation fund about your eligibility for:

• early release of superannuation
• total and permanent disability payment
• superannuation benefits for people with a terminal medical condition.

At work

If you are working and become ill, consider the following:

• Will you be able to continue working?
• Will you need to take time off for treatment?
• Do you have sick/long service/carer leave?
• Are flexible working arrangements available?
• Do you require a medical certificate?

Debts

Talk to your bank or lender/s about:

• reducing or pausing payments
• changing to interest-only repayments
• extending a loan term
• re-negotiating an interest rate
• applying for a hardship variation
• asking creditors to write-off debts.

Education including HECS/HELP

If you or your dependant/s is studying, you can:

• apply to have your HECS/HELP debts deferred
• ask to have school/childcare fees waived, deferred or reduced

Legal matters

Advance care planning

It can be hard to talk about what might happen if you become very unwell. Planning ahead can give you and your loved ones peace of mind when they know what your wishes are so they can be respected.

Find out more about advance care planning.

Advance health directive

An advance health directive allows you to give directions about your future health care, make your wishes known and give health professionals direction about the treatment you want, and appoint someone you trust (an attorney) to make decisions about health care on your behalf.

Find out more about creating an advance health directive.

Enduring power of attorney

An enduring power of attorney allows you to appoint someone you trust to make decisions about personal and financial matters when you aren't able to.

Find out more about enduring power of attorney.

Will

A will is a legal document that says what you would like to happen with your money, belongings and other assets (your estate) when you die. If you are affected by a life-limiting illness, check your will or make one if you don't already have one.

Find out more about making a will.