- The NZBA figures show that there are 9.86 million unique banking customers. Of those, 9,267 customers applied for hardship status, up 1% from the period between July 2023 and December 2023. 5,968 customers were granted hardship status, up 6.9%.
- Banking Association chief executive Roger Beaumont said banks had responded to the minister in line with his February letter and were “discussing next steps”.
- Hobbs said council had been working with the New Zealand Banking Association to see how they might be able to support people in negative equity, but it was case by case and homeowners should contact their bank to discuss options.
- “Our banks know that some farmers are doing it tough in the current economic environment, so it made sense to fill the funding gap for the Farm Business Advice Fund, and to renew the annual sponsorship arrangement for the Rural Support Trust,” Beaumont said.
- Banks alone could not protect New Zealanders from scams and had asked the government for help, involving from police and other agencies, New Zealand Banking Association chief executive Roger Beaumont said.
- “We’d encourage anyone experiencing financial difficulty to talk to their bank as soon as possible. The sooner you talk to your bank, the better placed they’ll be to assess your particular circumstances and discuss options to try to find a way through.”
