Building Financial Capability

What is Building Financial Capability?

Building Financial Capability (BFC) is a range of services and products that help people, families and whānau experiencing hardship to build their financial capability and resilience. BFC takes a strengths-based approach to empower people to get control of their money, set goals and achieve long-term, sustainable change.

Who can use BFC services?

Anyone experiencing financial hardship in their personal life can use BFC services and products for free. They don’t need to be receiving support from Work and Income. People can go directly to BFC services themselves or be referred by other people or organisations. Contact the free financial helpline MoneyTalks for confidential advice and to be connected to BFC services.

• Freephone: 0800 345 123
• Text: 4029
• Email: help@moneytalks.co.nz
• Online chat and more information: www.moneytalks.co.nz

BFC services, products and support

• Financial mentors – one-on-one service focused on helping people, families and whānau with their finances.
• MoneyMates – peer-led support group programme that encourages people to learn from others as they talk about money and finances in a group situation.
• BFC Plus – intensive support for people with more complex needs
• The Generator – generating prosperity through community action and enterprise in New Zealand communities that are the most vulnerable to poverty.
• MoneyTalks – free financial helpline that provides confidential advice to people in difficulty and connects them with BFC services in their community.
• BFC Fund – initiative to support communities experiencing hardship to become financially capable and resilient.
• Community Finance Initiative – affordable credit for individuals and whānau on low incomes.

Guidance and resources for providers

• BFC guidance and resources for providers include posters and flyers, the BFC Services Guidelines, Results Measurement Framework and the Client Outcomes Measurement Tool
• BFC Funding model. The way we fund BFC services was developed through the redesign process. Find out more about the funding allocation model and how we purchase and price the core components.

Find out more

• Co-design of BFC services and research
• Five-year BFC Evaluation Programme
• The national entity for the BFC sector - National Building Financial Capability Charitable Trust provides a range of support functions to BFC providers and is a sector voice to communicate advice and insights to government and others.