The Salvation Army today issued an urgent warning that Australia’s cost-of-living crisis is spiralling into an emergency for the nation’s most marginalised people, with a new report revealing nearly one in five (19%) people surveyed saying they had eaten from bins and three in five (60%) saying they had eaten expired or spoiled food in the past 12 months.The new report surveyed 4,400 Australians seeking emergency relief support from The Salvation Army and revealed widespread food insecurity and severe financial distress, with 91% saying they skipped meals in the past 12 months and almost one third (32%) saying this happened daily. The report also found one third (35%) said they survived on only one meal a day and 67% said they watered down food or drinks to make them last longer. 

One community member who received support from The Salvation Army said, “We starve, it’s that simple. We drink water because it fills us up. We walk a bit to take our minds off this horrible life we are in, and we beg whoever we can for help.” 

Another community member simply said they “go without food, find thrown-out food, look in bins” in order to survive. Children are increasingly bearing the brunt of the crisis, with 35% of parents saying their children had gone to school hungry and almost 6 in 10 (59%) households with school-aged children saying kids had missed school because families could not afford transport costs in the past 12 months.

“It is deeply confronting to see so many people across our community pushed to such desperate levels of hardship, where parents are skipping meals, children are going to school hungry and people are eating spoiled food or even eating from bins simply to survive,” Major Bruce Harmer from The Salvation Army commented “No one in Australia should be forced to choose between heating their home, feeding their children or buying medication, yet this is the reality facing more and more people every single day.”

The report highlighted widespread “energy poverty”, with 84% of respondents going to bed early to keep warm, 63% living in darkness, relying on candles and torches, and almost half (49%) using public places such as shopping centres or public bathrooms to avoid using electricity at home. Medical care is also increasingly out of reach, with over half (51%) unable to afford to see a doctor, dentist or optometrist, 46% unable to afford prescription medication and one quarter (25%) relying on hospital emergency departments instead of visiting a GP.

Another mum who received support from the Salvos said, “We never have enough food. We buy what is cheap and rely on help and food banks. I am very careful about our electricity use. My oldest son has been making do this year with only one school shirt. We put water in dish soap, shampoo, cleaning products, and other items to stretch them. We rarely buy milk, but when we do, we add water to make it last longer. We don’t spend money on clothing. We often fill prescriptions late or don’t take them daily to stretch them out further.”

Further findings from the report included:

• 82% said they had gone an entire day without eating in the past year.
• 87% said they avoided using heating or cooling over the past year due to cost pressures
• 77% said they had been unable to properly heat or cool their home in the past year
• 90% have experienced being unable to afford public transport or fuel for their car

The Salvation Army is calling on Australians to support its vital work, with demand for assistance continuing to rise across homelessness, emergency relief, financial hardship, family violence, youth services and community meals. The Salvos’ Red Shield Appeal is aiming to raise $41 million to support those doing it tough across the nation.

“Our report surveyed thousands of people who reached out to the Salvos for emergency relief support, with 90% saying they would not have managed financially without the help they received,” Major Harmer commented “But the need is growing rapidly and we cannot do this alone. Right now, your support can help provide food, financial assistance, safe shelter and hope to Australians doing it incredibly tough.”

Across Australia last year, through The Salvation Army’s network of over 400 centres and 2,000 services, the Salvos provided:*