Salvos say many can’t buy food, medicines

SINGLE parent families are being smashed by rising living costs, a shock new report from the Salvation Army reveals, with many living on just $ 14.35 a day.

A rising number of Australian families can’t afford to pay for vital necessities like medicines for their sick children, the National Economic and Social Impact Survey 2017 found.

Even getting enough food on the table was a daily challenge for almost 70 per cent of the 1380 Australians quizzed by the Salvation Army charity.

“Children are going to school hungry,” Salvo spokeswoman Leigh Cleave said. “Parents cannot provide nutritious food for their growing bodies and minds.

“This level of poverty doesn’t just have an impact now, it will impact future generations because, through no fault of their own, these children aren’t being given the opportunity to reach their full potential.”

The report found homeowners and private renters spent an average $ 200 a week for accommodation – equating to more than half, or 56 per cent of their disposable income. Poor families were left with an average $ 120 a week to live on, or just $ 17 a day.

Single families with children were the hardest hit, with many living off just $ 14.35 a day.

Soaring utility bills, rising rents and cost of living meant many of the single parent families had to borrow money, delay paying bills and do without, the report said.