I have a money emergency

Do these today

1. List what must be paid before payday in this order: food, transport to work, rent or bond, electricity and water, then everything else.
2. Call or email any creditor whose payment is due before payday, before it bounces, and ask for a short payment arrangement in writing.
3. Check what you already have: food in the cupboard, a stokvel payout date, money owed to you, and cancel or pause non-essential subscriptions.

Try not to

• Do not borrow from a mashonisa or take a payday loan to bridge the gap; the interest often makes next month worse, and never hand over your bank card or ID.
• Do not stop paying your bond or rent first; housing is the hardest thing to get back.

Who can help: Money coach

Read: a budget that actually works · mashonisas and payday loans the real cost · building an emergency fund on a tight income

Do these today

1. Open your banking app and list every debit order, the amount and the date it goes off.
2. Contact each creditor today to agree a new date or amount; ask for the arrangement in writing.
3. If a debit order is one you did not authorise, dispute it through your bank. A DebiCheck debit order needs your approval to be set up.

Try not to

• Do not simply open a new bank account to avoid debit orders; the debt is still owed and arrears keep growing.
• Do not cancel a debit order without telling the creditor; cancelling the payment does not cancel the debt.

Who can help: Money coach, NCR-registered debt counsellor

Read: debit orders debicheck and bounced payments · a budget that actually works · am i over indebted

Do these today

1. Find any letter from the finance company. Under the National Credit Act, a lender must normally send a section 129 letter of demand before starting legal action; note the date you got it.
2. Contact the finance company today and ask for your arrears amount and payment options in writing. Paying all arrears plus the lender's permitted default charges and reasonable costs before the car is sold may reinstate the agreement (section 129(3)).
3. Speak to an NCR-registered debt counsellor or a money coach about your options, including voluntary surrender (section 127), before you decide.

Try not to

• Do not hand your car to anyone without paperwork. A car on finance can be taken only through a court order carried out by the sheriff, or if you surrender it voluntarily in writing.
• Do not hide the car or sell it; it belongs to the finance company until it is paid off, and this can lead to criminal charges.

Who can help: NCR-registered debt counsellor, Consumer attorney, Money coach

Read: car repossession and voluntary surrender · what a section 129 letter means · how debt review works

Do these today

1. Call your bank's collections or home loan department today, explain what changed and ask about options such as a payment arrangement or restructuring; get it in writing.
2. Work out what you can realistically pay each month with the Budget Builder before you make a promise.
3. If you have received a section 129 letter or summons, get advice this week from an NCR-registered debt counsellor, Legal Aid SA or an attorney.

Try not to

• Do not ignore letters from the bank or the sheriff; the earlier you act, the more options you have.
• Do not sign over your house to a 'rescue' company promising to save it for a fee; these are often scams.

Who can help: NCR-registered debt counsellor, Legal Aid SA, Consumer attorney

Read: behind on your home loan · what a section 129 letter means · how debt review works

Do these today

1. Ask for the collector's name, company, and their registration with the Council for Debt Collectors, and ask for the details of the debt in writing (original creditor, amount and how it is made up).
2. Check whether you recognise the debt and when you last paid or acknowledged it. Most consumer debts prescribe after 3 years if there was no payment, acknowledgement or court action; collecting a prescribed debt is not allowed.
3. Only agree to a payment you can afford, and get the arrangement in writing before you pay.

Try not to

• Do not pay anything on a debt you do not recognise or cannot check.
• Do not accept threats, abuse or calls at unreasonable hours; collectors must follow a code of conduct and you can complain to the Council for Debt Collectors.

Who can help: Money coach, NCR-registered debt counsellor, Consumer attorney

Read: your rights when debt collectors call · prescribed debt explained · understanding your credit report

Do these today

1. Ask your employer for your UI-19 form, your last payslips and a certificate of service. Severance pay for retrenchment is at least one week's pay for every completed year of service under the BCEA.
2. Apply for UIF as soon as you can, online through uFiling or at a labour centre; there is a time limit to claim.
3. Check every loan and card for credit life or retrenchment cover (it is often included) and tell those lenders in writing. Contact creditors before you miss a payment.

Try not to

• Do not cash out all your retirement savings straight away; speak to a financial planner first, because withdrawals are taxed and you lose long-term growth.
• Do not sign a settlement or retrenchment agreement you do not understand; you can ask the CCMA or a labour attorney for help, and time limits apply to disputes.

Who can help: Money coach, Labour attorney, Financial planner (FSCA-authorised), Counsellor, Career coach

Read: retrenched your first 30 days · claiming uif step by step · credit life insurance explained

Do these today

1. Contact your bank's fraud line right now, using the number on the back of your card or in your banking app, and ask them to block your cards and accounts and try to stop the payment.
2. Change your banking, email and phone passwords, and do not share any OTP. If your ID details were taken, consider protective registration with the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service.
3. Report the scam at your nearest police station and get a case number. If it was an investment scam, also report it to the FSCA (fsca.co.za).

Try not to

• Do not pay anyone who contacts you offering to recover your money for a fee; recovery scams target people who were just scammed.
• Do not keep talking to the scammer or send more money to 'unlock' your funds.

Who can help: Consumer attorney, Money coach, Counsellor

Read: i think i was scammed what now · spotting a scam in south africa · when money worries affect your mind

Do these today

1. Tell someone today: a family member, neighbour, faith community or your ward councillor. Many communities have soup kitchens and food parcels.
2. Check if you qualify for a SASSA grant, including the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant; check the current amount and whether applications are open on sassa.gov.za. A social worker can also help with emergency food relief.
3. If you are employed, speak to the Cleared Mind Careline on 0800 212 146 about emergency support options, and use the Grocery Saver Planner to stretch what you have.

Try not to

• Do not borrow from a mashonisa to buy food or hand over your SASSA or bank card as security; this is illegal and traps people.
• Do not skip meals for your children's sake without asking for help; child and family support exists, and asking is not a failure.

Who can help: Social worker, Money coach, Counsellor

Read: when you cannot afford food · sassa grants and the srd grant · stretching your grocery budget

Do these today

1. Take the Debt Stress Assessment (2 minutes) to see which route fits you: a repayment plan, a money coach or an NCR-registered debt counsellor.
2. List every debt: who you owe, the balance, the instalment and whether you are behind. Gather your latest payslip and bank statements.
3. Stop new credit while you plan, including store cards and payday loans.

Try not to

• Do not pay large upfront fees to anyone promising to 'clear your name' or 'remove blacklisting'; accurate records cannot be removed for a fee.
• Do not sign up for debt review without checking the debt counsellor's NCR registration number on ncr.org.za.

Who can help: Money coach, NCR-registered debt counsellor

Read: am i over indebted · how debt review works · snowball or avalanche paying off debt

Do these today

1. Talk to someone now: the Cleared Mind 24-hour Careline on 0800 212 146 is free and confidential. If you are in danger right now, call the Suicide Crisis Helpline on 0800 567 567.
2. Try the 2-minute Financial Anxiety Reset: breathe slowly, name one money task, and do only that one thing today.
3. Book a counsellor, and a money coach if you want help with the numbers too. You can use both.

Try not to

• Do not carry this alone or hide it from everyone; money stress gets heavier in secret.
• Do not make big money decisions (cashing out retirement, taking a big loan) while you feel panicked; wait and talk to someone first.

Who can help: Counsellor, Psychologist, Money coach

Read: when money worries affect your mind · money shame and how to talk about it · when gambling affects your money