Poverty was worrying us before the Iran War made it even worse
A nationwide report has found that even before the latest rise in inflation and the fallout from the war on Iran, Australians were concerned about rising poverty across the country and its impact on young people trying to get into a home.
The research, compiled for the Brotherhood of St Laurence and based on a survey of more than 2,600 people, found three-quarters of respondents had been affected by cost of living pressures in the past two years, with 27 per cent experiencing “persistent stress or anxiety”.
Charities have reported a huge increase in the number of people using their services over the past three years. People who had never benefited from charities before, such as those with mortgages, were forced to seek help to escape the cost squeeze caused by high interest rates and inflation.
While the Central Bank is expected to make a third interest rate increase in the middle of the year, inflation is expected to reach at least 5 percent by June due to high oil prices.
The Fellowship of St Laurence survey found 82 per cent of respondents agreed it was important to support those in poverty during the cost of living crisis, with three fifths saying easing cost pressures on the country’s poorest would help ease price pressures on all Australians.
More than half of those surveyed say the government is responsible for reducing poverty, while four in five believe affordable housing should be prioritized to ease cost-of-living pressure. Sixty percent said governments should increase people’s chances of finding work to help reduce poverty.
Travers McLeod, chief executive of the Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL), said the survey showed perceptions of poverty were changing, with more people facing extreme cost of living pressures.
He said these pressures were exacerbated by young people being unable to enter the property market and older Australians being particularly at risk of falling into poverty.
“I think there is a recognition that the human face of poverty is changing. There are more essential workers, single parents and older people,” he said in this piece.
“People also understand that poverty is not just about income. This includes housing, it includes healthcare, social cohesion and security.”
Official measures of inequality show only a small increase over the past decade.
But the survey showed 75 per cent of people believe the country is becoming more unequal, with the gap between the haves and have-nots widening.
More than half believed inequality was now affecting the state of Australian democracy. A quarter of those surveyed agreed that poverty is caused by “decisions made by large corporations and businesses.”
McLeod said it was clear that most Australians did not want their citizens to experience poverty; 70 percent of survey respondents said that just because someone struggles to meet daily basic needs does not mean they are lazy.
“People should be able to eat healthy, have a safe roof over their heads, and access education and job opportunities. Unfortunately, despite Australia’s wealth, this is not the case,” he said.
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Shane Wright is senior economic correspondent for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X or email.
