Electricity and gas prices are forcing households to choose between heating and eating, according to food relief organisation Foodbank.
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) released a report this week stating that energy stress has impacted pensioners, renters, single-parent families, and households where someone has a disability or medical condition.
This followed Coles CEO John Durkan’s recent comments on significant shifts in consumer patterns as a consequence of household budget strain, with families being forced to trade off meat, fresh fruit and vegetables for cheaper, less-nutritious grocery items.
It was also reported last week that record numbers of households across NSW are at risk of having their power cut, with 77 per cent of low income NSW households reportedly going without heating, according to the NSW Council of Social Service.
The 2016 Foodbank Hunger Report revealed that unexpected expenses or large bills are one of the most common reasons why people find themselves with not enough food.
Foodbank has been calling on the Australian Government to mirror its commitment to develop a national food waste strategy by similarly developing a national food insecurity strategy, noting that food insecurity is essentially the ‘canary in the coal mine’ when it comes to Australia’s economic prosperity.
This month, the hunger relief organisation lodged a submission in response to the Federal Government’s proposal to remove the Energy Supplement, calling on Government to retain this welfare measure for vulnerable households.
