$37,045 for No Interest Loan Schemes in Northern Tablelands

Member for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay welcomed yesterday's announcement that $37,045 has been allocated to two No Interest Loan Schemes (NILS) in the Northern Tablelands.
The Armidale Neighbourhood Centre successfully applied for $12,348 while the Salvation Army will receive $24,697 to provide a NILS to Inverell, Glen Innes and Tenterfield communities.
Mr Torbay said the scheme has been a successful initiative in providing support to low-income families and he welcomed the additional funding for this year.
"Sometimes families need a helping hand to cover unexpected costs or to replace costly household items, and this scheme allows them to avoid the trap of incurring costly interest payments under some commercial schemes," Mr Torbay said. "The loans are made available to applicants under strict guidelines and with the assistance of trained NILS workers.
"The loans are then repaid, interest free, within 12 to 18 months and the applicant is then able to apply for further assistance.
"The Armidale Neighbourhood Centre and the Salvation Army are both experienced in providing this support and I congratulate them on their work."