Sonia Thompson – VIC
My financial difficulties began when I was younger and made poor financial decisions that left me with significant debt. At the time, I did not fully understand the long-term impact of these choices. In recent years, my situation has been made more difficult by extended periods out of work. I was unemployed for two years following the birth of my youngest child, and more recently, I have been without work since June 2025 after leaving a role due to harassment. With no stable income, I have been unable to meet my commitments. I have made efforts to improve my position by budgeting and exploring debt consolidation, but these attempts were not successful. The ongoing financial strain has been very stressful and taken a toll on my mental health. My situation has also been impacted by my full-time caring responsibilities for my son, who is non-verbal and Level 3 autistic. Providing for his needs requires my constant attention and makes returning to full-time work impossible at this stage.
