Th e Financial Ombudsman Service ( FOS ) was established in 2008 to resolve disputes between Australian consumers and fi nancial service providers. Th is article outlines the role of FOS in resolving disputes under the statutory protections for Australians in fi nancial hardship.Th is article also sets out the results of a study of data collected by FOS in relation to fi nancial hardship disputes resolved between 2010 and 2014. Th is data highlights the importance of FOS in a context where most disputes are resolved outside the courts, particularly in the aftermath of the global fi nancial crisis, when the number of fi nancial hardship disputes rose signifi cantly.