Life Without Debt.
Removing the financial burden of dying in Australia.
A new Australian charity that steps into the space between a terminal diagnosis and a creditor's hardship team — and finishes the job.
Australians dying with debt are told to negotiate for themselves.
Every large Australian creditor already has a hardship team. The law technically obliges them to consider a terminal-illness request in good faith (National Credit Code ss.72–75; Banking Code of Practice 2025).
In practice, the dying person — or their exhausted carer — is expected to run that negotiation, across multiple creditors, from a hospital bed, at the worst moment of their life.
The class is large. The unmet need is larger.
Existing charities target either poverty relief or clinical care. None focuses specifically on the debt burden that families face at end of life.
Four instruments. One outcome.
Qualified professionals negotiate with creditors on the beneficiary's behalf.
Bills, essentials, funerals. Capped, dual-signatory-approved.
Where nothing else works. Bounded caps per beneficiary.
Written advocacy to super funds, insurers, banks, agencies.
The Option-C hybrid model: LWD staff run intake and advocacy; regulated third parties handle any activity that touches the NCCP.
Referral → assessment → relief → outcome.
| Step | Action | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Referral | From palliative care, financial counsellor, community legal centre, or hospital social worker. |
| 2 | Eligibility | Terminal-illness definition per SIS Reg 6.01A (two medical practitioners, one specialist, ≤ 24 months). Financial-position evidence. |
| 3 | Plan | BLO + CEO dual sign-off. Mix of negotiation, direct relief, direct payoff, advocacy. |
| 4 | Execute | Financial counsellor / credit-assistance partner negotiates; LWD pays direct relief; advocacy letters issue. |
| 5 | Close | Case file retained. Sample reviewed quarterly by the Beneficiary Services sub-committee. |
75% direct beneficiary relief. Full disclosure of the rest.
| Line | Y1 share |
|---|---|
| Direct beneficiary relief | ~75% |
| Beneficiary services staff | ~15% |
| Governance & compliance | ~5% |
| Fundraising | ≤5% |
- Dedicated Gift Fund under s.30-130 ITAA 1997 — ring-fenced for beneficiary purposes.
- No fundraising commissions.
- Direct-relief caps enforced at Board level (per event / per year / aggregate).
- Board target: move direct-relief share above 80% by Year 3.
Built for scrutiny.
- Australian public company limited by guarantee (ASIC).
- ACNC-registered charity, Public Benevolent Institution subtype.
- Deductible gift recipient endorsement (item 4.1.1 of s.30-45 ITAA 1997).
- Board of five, majority independent, independent Chair.
- Dual-signatory bank controls; separate Gift Fund account.
- Direct Relief Policy with per-event, per-year and aggregate caps.
- Related-Party Policy: Chapter 2E controls in force.
- Annual audit and ACNC Annual Information Statement.
- Constitution alteration lock: purposes cannot be changed without 75% Members + ACNC + ATO no-objection.
- Reviewed by a charity-law specialist solicitor before every regulator lodgement.
The people you're backing.
Laurence Hugo — CEO Director
[Short bio: founder narrative, why LWD exists, prior experience]
Lisa Hugo — Co-founder & Head of Philanthropy
[Short bio: donor-relationship lead; owns philanthropic pipeline, grant relationships and beneficiary liaison].
Carla Oliver — CFO Advisor (CoSai CFO Services)
[Short bio: Board-appointed CFO Advisor; instructing party for the promoters; audit-ready financial reporting and governance drafting].
Expected Chair
[Prof. Sanders — academic / charity governance credentials; subject to appointment]
Independent Directors
[Target skill mix: consumer credit; palliative care; audit / finance; fundraising / philanthropy. See Director Recruitment Brief.]
Underwrite the first 24 months.
Founding Circle
15–20 beneficiary case cycles in Year 1. Named in the Annual Report (unless anonymous).
Founding Patron
~25% of Year-1 direct-relief expenditure. Optional briefing with Chair and CEO Director.
Lead Founding Partner
Entire Year-1 direct-relief target. Two-year Board-observer seat available on request.
All gifts to the Gift Fund become tax-deductible from the date of DGR endorsement. Pre-DGR gifts can be structured as pledges conditional on endorsement.
Let us take you through the case.
A 45-minute conversation with Lisa Hugo (Co-founder & Head of Philanthropy), Laurence Hugo (CEO Director) and Carla Oliver (CFO Advisor). We will walk you through:
- The registration status — where each application sits (ASIC, ACNC, DGR).
- The full Constitution and Board Charter (with Delegated Authorities Schedule).
- The Direct Relief Policy and case-management method.
- Your specific role — anonymous, named, or actively involved.
Lisa Hugo · Co-founder & Head of Philanthropy, Life Without Debt Ltd (in formation)
lisa@lifewithoutdebt.org.au · [Phone] · cosailifewithoutdebt.org
Financial questions and audited reporting: Carla Oliver · CFO Advisor (CoSai CFO Services) · carla@cosaicfo.com