Food banks across Australia are overwhelmed by cost-of-living pressures

20 hours ago

As both major parties try to tackle cost-of-living in WA with pre0election promises, it’s clear that families are still being hit the hardest. A new cost-of-living report has revealed a dual-income family with two kids can’t afford to make ends meet. Social services are once again asking whether the State Government can – and should – be doing more.

Transcript

00:00It might be a joyful time of year, but for families coming through the doors of Food

00:07Bank, it's a struggle.

00:09This year, just hard, just ridiculously hard, especially from the price of food going up.

00:17It looks like every week I come here, it feels like there's more and more people here, which

00:21is a bit distressing.

00:22And yet another cost of living report highlighting the obvious, families need more help.

00:28We're dealing with numbers that used to be close to about $10,000 a year, and now we're

00:32looking up towards the $13,000s, so there is no slowing down.

00:36The WA Council of Social Service says for the financial year just gone, a dual-income

00:42West Australian family with two kids couldn't afford to make ends meet.

00:47Three years ago, they were coming out ahead with $100 after paying weekly expenses.

00:52Two years ago, they had just $45 to spare.

00:56Now families are $53 over budget each week.

01:01That's including the government's payments for school-aged children.

01:04The costs have gone up far higher than increases in income.

01:10In many cases, well over 11%, while the increase in income has only gone up 4%.

01:16The government says it's doing all it can.

01:19We know families are doing it tough.

01:21That's the reason why we have invested over a billion dollars in the last 12 months alone

01:26on cost-of-living measures.

01:27Social services are wanting more long-term measures when it comes to cost-of-living relief,

01:32not one-off sugar hits of electricity credits or free public transport.

01:37They say this is what will really make a difference for families doing it tough.

01:42We've provided a list of solutions to the state government that could be targeted,

01:47like a cost-of-living package for those who are most in need.

01:52The school lunch programs.

01:54Amid fears more people will slip below the poverty line.

Food banks across Australia are overwhelmed by cost-of-living pressures

Category

Transcript

Recommended