North Otago Budget Advisory Service co-ordinator Katrina Kelly encourages people to ask for help with their finances before they get out of hand. While it had been quiet in town, Mrs Kelly and colleague Mary Bulatao had been seeing more people referred to the service, in circumstances such as seeking KiwiSaver hardship withdrawals. "It gets absorbed into the budget," Mrs Kelly said. The service was free, confidential and non-judgemental, and she urged people not to let pride get in the way of them seeking help. "People don’t save, because that’s the last thing on their mind, is savings, because they’re just trying to survive.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 29, 2022 16:55 UTC