No Heat, No Hygiene, No Healthcare The daily reality for those living below the poverty line in Australia - Salvos research surveys clients, finds over 1 in 2 not using heating at home, 43% can't afford soap and menstrual products and 58% can't afford to
The Salvation Army
No Heat, No Hygiene, No Healthcare
The daily reality for those living below the poverty line in Australia
Salvos research surveys clients, finds over 1 in 2 not using heating at home, 43% can’t afford soap and menstrual products and 58% can’t afford to see a doctor
New data from The Salvation Army, which surveyed those who reached out to the Salvos for help, has revealed the lengths Aussies will go to save on utility bills with 52% not using heating or cooling at home and 37% using only cold water for washing and showering. This research comes as the Salvos make a final call for support towards their 61st annual Red Shield Appeal, to vitally help Aussies doing it tough.
The financial hardship people are facing extends to other parts of life, with a shocking 43% unable to afford basic hygiene items like soap, toilet paper or menstrual products, nearly three in five (58%) were unable to visit a doctor, dentist or optometrist due to a lack of money, and over half (53%) couldn’t afford public transport or fuel for their vehicle, leading to one in three (34%) saying their children missed school because they couldn’t afford fuel or transport.
A 52-year-old woman who had accessed support from the Salvos said, “I live from pay to pay. I go without food often. My clothes are falling off me as I have lost weight, and I can’t afford to buy ones that fit. I can’t afford fuel for my car, so that leaves me isolated at home, affecting my mental health even worse than it already is.”
Another 37-year-old woman said, “I had to choose between medical treatment and being able to afford food. I haven't been able to access the mobility aids I need and therefore been restricted in my movements and ability to access the communities. I had to suffer through rent increase because I couldn't afford to move.”
Major Bruce Harmer from The Salvation Army said, “The lengths that Australian’s are having to resort to in order to survive is truly heartbreaking. Behind every stat in this Salvos research are real people who we have supported, many of whom are trapped in a prison of poverty and feel they do not have any hope. This is where The Salvation Army steps in, and this is also where the Australian public steps in. Through supporting the work of the Salvos, you can be the hope that so many Aussies desperately need right now.”
Other key findings from the Salvos research were:
- One in four (26%) had their electricity disconnected in the past year
- Among those with a disability or chronic health condition, 27% could not afford necessary aids or equipment such as a wheelchair or hearing aid
- Almost one in five (19%) had couch surfed or lived in their car in the past 12 months
- 46% said their mental health had worsened over the past year
- Almost seven in ten (69%) reported losing sleep over their financial situation
The research surveyed 3,586 community members who had received food, financial assistance or material aid from The Salvos and found that 90% of respondents said they wouldn’t have managed without the support of The Salvation Army.
A 30-year-old woman said of the Salvos, “The Salvos helped me find my current home, helped with food, helped with gifts when I am financially down and out, and also not made me feel ashamed or embarrassed to ask for help.”
This research coincides with The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal, this year aiming to raise $38 million by June 30 to ensure their 2000 services across the country can continue to support Australians doing it tough.
Across Australia last year, through The Salvation Army’s network of centres in areas such as homelessness, family and domestic violence, youth, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, financial hardship and much more, the Salvos provided: *
- Assistance to one person every 17 seconds
- More than 1.76 million sessions of care to over 250,000 people in need
- Over 1.1 million bed nights to those who needed accommodation
- More than 1.5 million meals to people who accessed our homelessness services.
“The Salvation Army is passionate about supporting Australians who are doing it tough, and we have done so for over 145 years. It is a privilege to come alongside people in their time of need and see their lives transformed. But we can’t do this alone, which is why our Red Shield Appeal this year is so vitally important. Please, if you can, donate to The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal before June 30,” Major Harmer added.
To make a tax-deductible donation to The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal, please visit salvationarmy.org.au or call 13 SALVOS before June 30. You can also donate at any Salvos Store
ENDS
For more information, please contact The Salvation Army’s Media Relations Department on (02) 94663143
*The Salvation Army’s Annual Report 2024