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We're here for our home loan customers
We have financial assistance options to help make things more manageable for our home loan customers who have been impacted by COVID-19.
Updated on: 22/09/2020
Options that can help
I’ve deferred my loan repayments, what are my options?
If you are able to make payments, even if only part payments, we encourage you to do so. However, if you are still experiencing financial hardship and are unable to make repayments, we will assess your circumstances and the options available to you as we approach the end of your deferral period.
Can you give me the additional four months now so I have certainty?
We appreciate this is an uncertain and stressful time. We will assess your circumstances and work through your options with you as the end of the payment deferral period approaches. The four-month extension is not automatic for all customers and subject to an assessment process, so we will work with you to assess your circumstances.
Applying for financial support for the first time
Who’s eligible to apply for financial support, and how do I do it?
All existing Suncorp home or personal loan customers who have been impacted by COVID-19 and require assistance may apply for financial support (eligibility criteria applies).
To apply, please click the Apply Now link, this will let you download a PDF Request for Financial Assistance form, which you then need to return to us either via email, fax, post or to your nearest Suncorp store.
Do I need to supply any documents to support my application?
We don’t require any supporting documents with your initial application. If we do need additional information from you, someone from our specialist team will get in touch.
Can I apply in person at my local Suncorp Store?
Yes. If you prefer to visit a store to apply for financial assistance, please only do so if you’re feeling well, are not in precautionary self isolation, and have not been exposed to anyone diagnosed with COVID-19. We also ask that you practice recommended social distancing when interacting with Suncorp team members.
Once your application has been received, someone from our specialist team will get in touch to discuss your options. Once an outcome has been reached, you will receive an outcome letter. We’re currently experiencing higher than usual volumes which may impact processing times.
When does my financial assistance commence?
If approved, your financial assistance will commence from the date you submitted the application.
What do I do if my application has been declined?
If your application for financial assistance is declined, you may still have other options you can access to alleviate some of your monetary stress:
Eligible customers with variable home loans may be able to access their cashback to assist with expenses. Find out more about using your cashback here.
Eligible customers who have made additional repayments on their home or personal loan and are in advance may be able to reduce or suspend their repayments. Find out more about modifying your repayments here.
If you’re unhappy with the outcome of your application and would like to speak to someone about it, please use the contact details listed on your Outcome letter.
Why haven’t I heard back about my application?
As we’re currently experiencing a high volume of requests, it may take longer than usual to process your application – up to 21 days in some cases. We appreciate that this can be a stressful and anxious time for you, and thank you for your patience and understanding. Rest assured that our team is working hard and dedicated to getting back to you as quickly as possible.
If my application for financial assistance is approved, how could this impact my consumer credit report?
If approved, a payment pause or deferral will not show up as a missed payment in your consumer credit report. You can find out more about how your credit score and credit report may be affected by visiting CreditSmart.
My Loan is currently deferred – What happens next/What are my options?
Will I need to contact Suncorp before my deferral expires, or will you contact me?
We will contact you before your current repayment deferral ends. If we contact you via email, we will provide you with a link to an online form that you can complete to let us know that you’re ready to return to repayments, or you can let us know if you still require further assistance. Once we receive your response we will contact you via phone to discuss your circumstances. If we contact you via phone, we will ask you to provide us with information about your circumstances and our team will discuss your options with you.
What do I do if I am ready to start making repayments again?
We’re happy to hear that you’re ready to start making repayments again. Please click the ‘Update my Status’ button in the form and let us know you don’t require further assistance, otherwise you can let us know when we call you. If you are ready to start making repayments before your deferral period ends, you can do so at any time.
Importantly, your repayment direct debits or transfers won't automatically resume on the set date. You will need to establish these automatic payment arrangements again to ensure they happen on or before the due date of your repayment
You can find more information about how to setup your direct debits on our website, or if you need assistance to do this please contact us on 13 11 55.
What if I don’t know the best option for me?
Our dedicated team is here to help you. If you’re not sure what the best option is for you one of our Specialist team members will assist with providing you the most suitable relief for your circumstances.
I have multiple loans that have had repayments deferred. What option should I select on the online form?
If you have multiple loans that have had repayments deferred, we will assess your circumstances based on the information you provide us and will contact you to discuss your options. On the online form select your preferred option, and if you require more than 1 type of relief you can discuss this with one of our specialist team members.
Why do I need to provide the information that is requested in the online form?
It is important that we assess your individual circumstances to ensure that the options we discuss with you are appropriate for you. Your assets and liabilities, income and expenses help us to understand your financial position and allow us to recommend options specific to you.
If I don’t want to complete the online form, can I still seek further assistance?
We recommend that you complete the online form, as this allows us to collect the information, we need to assist you. If you require further assistance but do not wish to complete the online form, you do have the option to provide the information over the phone to our dedicated Customer Assist team. They will ask you the same questions that we ask in the form, so please have this information ready when you call us.
Can I start the online form, and then come back to it later?
You may wish to open the form to see what information we need, and then come back to it once you’ve collected this information. Unfortunately, you will not be able to save a partially completed form and come back to it – exiting the form before clicking submit will lose any information you’ve entered.
If I have Business Loans, or normally deal with a Relationship Manager, what should I expect?
If you hold a Small Business loan with Suncorp, you will receive an online form where you will be asked to provide details around your current situation. In most cases, if you have both Home and Small Business loans, you will only have to complete the form once. If you have a Relationship Manager or a Commercial Loan product, you will receive a separate communication shortly advising the next steps to return to repayments or request further assistance.
Deferring your loan repayments
I’ve been approved to defer my home or personal loan. What does that mean?
If you’ve been approved to defer your home or personal loan, you’re not required to make any repayments on your home or personal loan for the approved period. At the end of the approved period, any monthly interest that should have been paid as part of your contracted loan repayment during that time will be added (capitalised) on top of your loan balance.
This means that your monthly payments may change when your repayments recommence, to ensure your loan is repaid within your remaining loan term. For example, the amount required may be higher than current repayments and you may incur a higher amount of interest over the life of the loan. Alternatively, your loan term may be extended to keep your repayments at the same amount. To find out if you are eligible for this option please call us 13 11 55.
You may need to make arrangements to change, cancel, or reset any automatic transfer payment instructions you have in place. For payment instructions you have with us, these can be actioned online via Internet Banking or the Suncorp App. Otherwise please contact the financial institution who is responsible for the automatic transfer.
Importantly, your repayment direct debits or transfers won't automatically resume on the set date. You will need to establish these automatic payment arrangements again to ensure they happen on or before the due date of your repayment
You can find more information about how to setup your direct debits on our website, or if you need assistance to do this please contact us on 13 11 55.
How long can I defer my loan repayments for?
When you apply for Financial Assistance, one of our dedicated Customer Assist team members will consider your individual circumstances before recommending an appropriate deferral period. When completing the application form, you are welcome to tell us how many months you would prefer based on how long you think it will take you to get back on your feet. Keep in mind that we will assess your circumstances to make sure any assistance is appropriate for you.
Will a payment deferral mean that I have to pay more interest on my loan?
A payment deferral will mean that you need to pay some extra interest. The reason for this is that when the interest is capitalized on the loan balance, you will then pay interest on that amount over the remaining term of the loan. This may mean that your repayment is recalculated to ensure it is repaid over the term of the loan and it may increase as a result.
If you are in advance on your home loan or have enough savings to cover the loan repayments during this time, you may prefer to explore these options rather than requesting for, or extending your loan payment deferral.
How much extra interest would I be charged if I request to extend my payment deferral for a further 3 months?
How much interest you’ll be charged if you request to defer your repayments for another 3 months depends on the specific details of your particular loan and a variety of decisions you might make regarding that loan over its lifetime. The amount can also be impacted by other variables, including interest rate changes, fees and charges, as well as the remaining loan term and balance. As an example, for a home loan of $280,000 on an interest rate of 3%, with a remaining term of 25 years, the additional interest payable on the capitalized interest would total $3150*.
*additional interest payable is indicative only and assumes no further variations, interest rate changes or arrears for the life of the loan.
Moving to interest only repayments
I’ve been approved to pay only the interest on my home loan. What does that mean?
If you’ve been approved to pay only the interest on your home loan, you’ll only have to make the interest repayments towards your home loan for the approved period. You won’t need to pay the principal part of your loan for that time.
At the end of the approved period, when your regular repayments recommence, your monthly payments will be adjusted accordingly to ensure your loan is still repaid within the remaining loan term. For example, the amount required may be higher than current repayments and you may incur a higher amount of interest over the life of the loan.
Alternatively, your loan term may be extended to keep your repayments at the same amount. Should your loan term be extended, you may still pay more interest over the life of the loan. To discuss this option please call us 13 11 55.
How do I work out how much the interest on my loan is?
If you are approved to move to interest only repayments, we will advise you and provide you with a direct debit form that will automatically debit the interest repayment from your account on the due date each month. You can get an estimate of what the interest only repayment will be each month by using our online repayment calculator
Can I extend the approved period for paying interest only?
If, at the end of the approved period, you require further financial assistance, you can re-apply. To do so, please click the Apply Now link, this will let you download a PDF Request for Financial Assistance form, which you then need to return to us either via email, fax, post or to your nearest Suncorp store.
Modifying your repayments
Who can modify their loan repayments?
If you’ve previously made additional repayments on your home or personal loan and are in advance, you may be able to reduce or suspend your repayments. You can do this up to the value of your advance payments. For example, if your monthly repayments are $200, and you’re in advance of $400, you can pause your repayments for up to 2 months.
How do I check if my loan is in advance?
You can easily check if your home or personal loan repayments are in advance online.
Through Internet Banking:
- Log in to Internet Banking
- Click on your account number
- The ‘Summary’ will display how much you are in advance by (if any)
Through the Suncorp App:
- Launch the Suncorp App
- Go to the ‘Banking’ tab and tap on the relevant loan account
- Select ‘Account Details’
- If your loan is in advance, you’ll see a heading that says ‘Payments in Advance’. Under this, you’ll see the amount you’re in advance by
Through the mobile app:
- Launch the Suncorp Bank mobile app
- Select the relevant Loan Account
- On the ‘Transactions’ screen, select the ‘i’ icon in the top right corner
- Your account details will be displayed, including any amount you’ve paid in advance
How do I modify my repayments?
If your repayments are in advance, and you pay your loan through recurring payments, you can suspend them online at any time:
Through Internet Banking:
- Log in to Internet Banking
- Click ‘Transfer Money’ on the left side menu
- Scroll down until you see ‘Future Dated Transfers’
- Select ‘Edit’ or ‘Cancel’ next to the transfer you wish to suspend. It’s important to double check everything in the ‘Edit’ option as it defaults back to ‘immediate’ timing
Through the Suncorp App:
- Launch the Suncorp App
- On the ‘Banking’ tab, tap on the ‘Manage’ button in the top right corner
- Select ‘Scheduled Payments’, and then the transfer you wish to suspend
- Tap ‘Edit Payment’ or ‘Delete Payment’. If you do delete the transfer, you can easily set it back up again online
Through the mobile app:
- Launch the Suncorp Bank mobile app
- Tap the menu on the top left corner with 3 horizontal lines
- Select ‘Transfers and payments’, and then ‘Scheduled’ Tap the transfer you wish you suspend
- You can edit the amount, frequency or next payment date on this screen, or tap ‘Cancel’ transfer to cancel it completely. You can easily set it back up again online when you’re ready
If you usually pay your loan through direct debit payments, you’ll need to contact us to suspend or modify your repayments.
Redrawing your cashback
Who is eligible to access cashback?
You may be able to access cashback to help with your expenses, depending on the type of home loan you have.
Variable home loans
If you have a variable home loan, and have made additional repayments, you may be able to access cashback up to the value of the advance repayments, minus the value of one monthly repayment.
Fixed rate home loans
If you have a fixed home loan, and you’ve been affected financially by COVID-19, you’ll need to apply for financial assistance. To apply, please click the Apply Now link, this will let you download a PDF Request for Financial Assistance form, which you then need to return to us either via email, fax, post or to your nearest Suncorp store.
How do I check if I’ve made additional repayments on my variable home loan?
You can easily check if you’ve made additional repayments on your variable home loan, and the balance of your available cashback, online.
Through Internet Banking:
- Log in to Internet Banking
- Click on your account number
- The ‘Summary’ will display how much you are in advance by (if any)
Through the Suncorp App:
- Launch the Suncorp App
- Go to the ‘Banking’ tab and tap on the relevant loan account
- Select ‘Account Details’
- If your loan is in advance, you’ll see a heading that says ‘Payments in Advance’. Under this, you’ll see the amount you’re in advance by
Through the mobile app:
- Launch the Suncorp Bank mobile app
- Select the relevant Loan Account
- On the ‘Transactions’ screen, select the ‘i’ icon in the top right corner
- Your account details will be displayed, including any amount you’ve paid in advance
How do I access my cashback?
If you’re registered for online cashback, you can access it easily through the following methods:
Through Internet Banking:
- Log in to Internet Banking
- Click ‘Transfer Money’ from the left side menu
- Select ‘Loan Cashback’, from under the heading ‘Set up a new transfer’
- Follow the steps from there
Through the Suncorp App:
- Launch the Suncorp App
- On the ‘Banking’ tab, tap the ‘Pay/Transfer’ button at the bottom of the screen
- Tap ‘Transfer’
- Select the relevant loan as the ‘From account’
- Select which deposit account you would like the funds to be transferred into
- Choose an amount and continue
Through the mobile app:
- Launch the Suncorp Bank mobile app
- Select ‘Transfer funds’ from the bottom menu
- Select the relevant loan as the ‘From account’
- Select which deposit account you would like the funds to be transferred into
- Choose an amount and continue
If you haven’t done so yet, you’ll find instructions on how to register for online cashback on this page.
I’ve been approved to redraw cashback on my fixed rate home loan. What does that mean?
If you’ve been approved to redraw cashback on your fixed rate home loan, the request will need to be processed by Suncorp due to the fixed interest rate loan feature limitations. Your fixed interest rate will remain unchanged.
Assistance with other Suncorp Bank products and services
Things you should know
*Terms, conditions and eligibility criteria apply to bank products and to our financial support options and are available on request.