Mortgage broker Sarah Smelt said recent HECS repayment changes would impact people's borrowing power. (Source: Supplied/AAP)Most Australians with HECS debts will now keep more of their pay cheque in their pocket, following government changes to repayment rules. “Obviously, it depends person to person,” Smelt said, adding that there were a lot of variables at play. Under the old system, the government’s HELP repayment estimator shows someone earning $85,000 a year would be paying $3,400 a year in HECS repayments. Banks relax lending rules for those with HECS debtIt comes as banks relax their rules around HECS when assessing mortgage applications.