Kylie’s story – bouncing back from rock bottom

As a single mother and primary carer of three children for some time, Kylie had always been able to financially get by.

However, the rising cost of living over the last few years has propelled Kylie and her family into financial hardship.

Every time a bill arrives, Kylie experiences anxiety knowing she will need to call the service provider to negotiate a payment plan.

Kylie works around her childminding responsibilities but with 70% of her income going towards rent there is little money left over to afford essentials such as food, utilities, healthcare or fuel.

The low point came for Kylie earlier in 2024, when she was behind in rent and unable to buy food or a cake to celebrate her birthday with her children.

“I had reached a point of pure desperation; I was a mess. I’d hit my rock bottom and that’s when I sought help,” says Kylie

Reaching out for help saw Kylie supported by the Financial Wellbeing Collective’s services of financial counselling, energy coaching, and emergency relief access. It became the start of the road to regaining some control over her financial situation.  

Her financial counsellor at partner agency Uniting WA supported Kylie with creditor advocacy and debt negotiation which resulted in some debt being waived and the implementation of more manageable payment plans.

Kylie’s financial counsellor also provided referrals to supportive services including emergency relief and a utility grant which helped free up some money in her budget.

To access food for her family, Kylie was supported with a Foodbank WA membership through the Emergency Relief and Food Access Service delivered by partner agency Anglicare WA.

And her financial counsellor connected Kylie with in-home energy coaching, a service of the Energy Ahead program that helps Synergy users reduce their energy bills.

“My financial counsellor was completely non-judgmental; in fact, he always made me feel at ease. Despite my high stress levels, our appointments were always a very calming experience. He helped me set-up a plan which we worked to. I am so grateful for his help and the services he has connected me to,” says Kylie.

While cost of living and high rent continues to challenge her budget, Kylie says she feels more in control of her finances and on top of her bills after accessing these services.

“With everything being so expensive now it can still be a battle, but I am in a much better place both mentally and financially for having sought help. I consider myself so fortunate to have been assisted by all the people that have helped my family. It’s reassuring knowing these services are there in times of need,” says Kylie.

Her advice for anyone else experiencing hardship:

“Don’t wait for your rock bottom. Help is out there, reach out for it now. You’ll be so glad you did. I only wish I had asked for help sooner,” says Kylie.

The Financial Wellbeing in WA Snapshot 2024, a newly released report from the Financial Wellbeing Collective, shows single mothers are the hardest hit by financial hardship in the Western Australia.

Helena Jakupovic says single mothers have always been an economically disadvantaged group, but today’s cost of living has forced single mums like Kylie into new levels of financial, food and utility stress.

“Cost of living is deepening the experiences of hardship and poverty for single parent families, where every day has become a fight to survive. This is simply unacceptable, especially in
one of the wealthiest states of Australia,” says Ms Jakupovic.

Read the Financial Wellbeing in WA Snapshot 2024.

Read the Key Findings document.

Western Australians experiencing financial difficulty are encouraged to reach out to:
Financial Wellbeing Collective: ☎️ 1800 932 050 🌐 thefwc.org.au