No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS)

About our No Interest Loans

We provide No Interest Loans (NILs) for individuals and families on low incomes with access to safe, fair and affordable credit.

How much can I borrow?

Borrow up to $2000 for essentials such as appliances or furniture, to help you get your car back on the road, pay for education fees and equipment or help you cover the cost of goods and services to support your wellbeing.

Borrow up to $3000 for housing related expenses such as bond or rent in advance, or for recovery from a natural disaster.

What can I use a NILs loan for?

Borrow up to $2000 for essential goods and services including:

Household items like appliances, whitegoods & furniture

Car repairs & registration

Medical, dental, wellbeing and life event expenses

Technology like a phone or laptop

Education expenses like fees or uniforms

Employment expenses like licenses or equipment

 

Borrow up to $3,000 for:

Bond & rent in advance

Rates

Costs associated with a natural disaster

 

Am I eligible?

Earn less than $70,000 annual income (before tax) as a single person or $100,000 annual income (before tax) if you have a partner or children

OR Have experienced family or domestic violence in the last 10 years

OR Have a Health Care Card / Pension Card

AND You can show you can afford to repay the loan

 

To find out more about NILs – click links below:

https://goodshep.org.au/services/nils/

Watch this short Youtube video for a quick overview…
Good Shepherd Micro Finance – Youtube Safe, Fair, Affordable Credit Solutions

How do I apply?

1.   Fill out the Enquiry Form. You can find a link to the package documents below, or pop into the Forster Neighbourhood Centre at 3 Lake Street, Forster, to collect the package. If eligible for a loan, email or drop the completed Enquiry Form into us as soon as possible so we can start the loan process. Alternatively, you can even phone through the information, and we can complete the Enquiry Form over the phone on your behalf.

2.  Make an appointment for your loan interview.

Appointments are held on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday’s at 3 Lake Street, Forster and at Tobwabba Aboriginal Medical Service, MacIntosh Street, Forster, by appointment.

Phone 6555 4351 or email nils@fnc.org.au

The Centre is open Mondays to Wednesdays 9 am to 4 pm and Thursdays and Fridays from 9 am to 12.30 pm.

Please allow yourself enough time to collect all the information you will need for your interview appointment.

3.  Loan applicants are required to bring in all the documentation listed in the Document Checklist of the Information Package (link below). Bring the documents with you to the interview appointment. WE can help you with your Budget.  completed budget on page 4, to the interview appointment. We can help you with your budget on page 4.

Note: you will need to return for a follow up interview if any documents are missing. 

4.  At the interview, the Loans Officer and applicant will review all the provided documentation and the loan will be processed in our system. Please note the loan will not be approved or  declined at this appointment.

5.  Applications are assessed by the Loans Committee and we will contact you regarding the outcome.

 

You can download the NILS Information Package and Application here:

1 Enquiry Pack (002)

Boarding Stat Dec

Stat Dec 2022

 

or fill in the online form.

NILS Loan Application Form

Name(Required)
Date of Birth(Required)
Gender(Required)
Maximum loan is $2,000 per person

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for a NILS loan, you need to meet 3 criteria:
Do you?(Required)
Please tick all that apply
Time at current address(Required)
Time at previous address(Required)
Hidden

Your Capacity and Willingness to repay the loan and that you can afford the fortnightly repayments. After you have submitted all the documents per the Document Checklist on page 3, and completed the Budget on page 4, an appointment is made with the NILS Loan Interview Officer to assess your Capacity to repay the loan.
Address
Accommodation Type(Required)

Living Arrangements

Identify as Indigenous:(Required)
Identify as having a disability:(Required)
Identify as having a disability:(Required)
Second Contact
We need details of a second contact person in case we cannot get in touch with you. We do not divulge any details about your loan.

Applicants Rights and Responsibilities

Rights
People wishing to use GL NILS have the right to expect that Forster Neighbourhood Centre will make every effort to ensure that their rights are upheld. This includes the right to:

  • Be treated fairly and with respect regardless of their personal circumstances or beliefs
  • Be informed about the scheme’s eligibility criteria
  • Be informed about the loan decision making processes
  • Receive the Terms and Conditions of the loan
  • Know how information about them is recorded and who will have access to their information
  • Make a complaint and have the complaint dealt with fairly and promptly without retribution
  • Access their file documents at any time

It is recommended that the NILS applicant be given a copy of their rights and responsibilities at the interview stage.

Responsibilities

  • The applicant must act in a manner that respects the rights of other applicants and employees of the agency
  • The loan applicant is responsible for ensuring all information provided for the purposes of the loan enquiry and interview are true and correct and that no false or misleading information is given at any time.
  • It is the borrower’s responsibility to contact the agency if they are unable to make a payment.