Over the last year, one in six Australians have been unable to put food on the table, according to the 2018 .
Of the four million food insecure Australians, 30 per cent attribute a low income or pension as the primary reason they are unable to afford essentials.
“When you’re living pay cheque to pay cheque, all it takes is an unexpected medical incident, a missed shift at work or the tyres going on your car, and the household budget is blown,” Foodbank CEO, Brianna Casey says.
For Dianne Armstrong, her shortage of money started when she left her partner. Without the pension she received for caring for him, Armstrong’s finances significantly dropped.
“I have had a part time job for many years, but it wasn’t enough to survive on,” the 63-year old says.
“I started to receive a Newstart allowance, but even with the funds I had in the bank it wasn’t enough once I paid my bills.”
Armstrong consequently cut meat from her diet and resorted to cheaper meals, most often instant noodles, bread or rice with frozen vegetables.
Newstart payments were recently described as a “” by the Australian Council of Social Service and, calls for a rise are gaining traction for the first time in 24 years.
After months of food insecurity, Armstrong turned to charities for food hampers. She is one of 384,000 Australians now seeking help.
“This has gone on for 12 months and it’s still the same. I’ve just learnt to manage things a bit better,” Armstrong says.
Struggling to afford food can have damaging effects on a person’s quality of life.
Apart from a decline in physical health due to skipping meals or unhealthy eating, more than half report feeling stressed, depressed and unhappy as a result of food insecurity.
“You feel put down, unworthy of anything living this way. I just want to know there is someone out there to lend a helping hand,” explains Armstrong.
Charities unable to keep up
Charitable organisations are struggling to keep up with the growing demand for food relief.
Secretary of Gippsland Farmer Relief Associated, Jan Stirling says the number of hampers required in her rural community is growing. Photo: Supplied Source: Supplied
Secretary of Gippsland Farmer Relief Associated, Jan Stirling, says the number of hampers required in her rural community has doubled in the last year.
“I went down to East Gippsland about a month ago and I would say every second farmer needed assistance,” Stirling says.
Australians living in regional and remote areas are particularly vulnerable and are 33 per cent more likely to experience food insecurity compared to their city counterparts. Stirling explains while the problem has been exacerbated by the drought, the isolation alone makes access to food difficult.
“The main thing they do is feed their animals, the family comes in fourth of fifth in the line of priorities,” adds Stirling. “They are able to survive, but not without trying times.”
Foodbank’s CEO, Casey believes the government should make food relief a priority in the upcoming federal election.
“Instead of relying on organisations like Foodbank to put a bandaid over a gaping wound, how about we see a national food security strategy put in place immediately so we can help the food relief sector,” said Casey.
In 2014, that for every kilogram of food relief distributed, there is a social return of 23 dollars, or 571 million dollars per year.
“These figures provide a compelling rationale for more meaningful and substantial government investment in food relief,” Casey says.
