Many Australia families are avoiding seeking medical help when they need it and skipping meals as they struggle to cope with chronic cost-of-living pressures.
A Salvation Army survey of 1500 people who reached out to the Salvo’s financial relief service over a 12-month period found 69 percent were going without food on occasions so their children could eat.
Despite this sacrifice, 13 percent reported their kids went to school hungry, 21 their children went to school without lunch and seven percent of children went a whole day without eating.
Across the survey respondents, 43 percent were unable to afford heating and cooling and 61 percent were missing out on medical, dental and eye care.
Nearly half were showering and washing less to save on utility bills, 22 percent were using alternatives to electricity at night. One in 10 were regularly using public bathrooms to help them save costs at home.
Salvation Army spokesman Major Brendan Nottle said the figures were “shocking”.
“We are seeing a tsunami of need across the country, with people accessing The Salvation Army’s services for the first time,” he said.
“The lengths people are going to just to get by is shocking and unnecessary in this country. It is outrageous that eight in 10 of those surveyed are living below the poverty line and almost three in 10 (29 pe cent) have been impacted by family and domestic violence.”
The research found that 78 percent of respondents had repeatedly sought help from welfare organisations.
On average respondents had just $8 left to get through the week after paying for essential costs, such as housing, utilities, medicine and groceries.
The research coincides with The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal, which aims to raise $38 million this year to enable the Salvos to continue their community support work.
Support the Salvation Army, go to the Red Shield Appeal website.
