Food insecurity is a “hidden crisis” in Australia, welfare groups have warned, with increasing numbers of people unable to afford enough food for themselves or their families.



Foodbank Australia, an organisation that provides food for those in need, said demand had increased by 8% in the most recent financial year, compared with the previous year. About 516,000 Australians now rely on Foodbank’s services each month.

The not-for-profit network said more than 60,000 Australians seeking food relief were turned away each month due to a lack of resources.

“Hunger really is a hidden crisis in Australia,” said Jason Hincks, chief executive of Foodbank Australia. “We are seeing a significant gap emerge between demand and supply, which is an issue for government and for the rest of us.”

Improved food manufacturing processes, which led to a reduction in excess food to be given to those in need, welfare policies and rising living costs were driving the increase in the number of people going hungry, Hincks said.

“Financial circumstances are the number one driver,” he said. “If there’s an unexpected expense, such as a medical bill or the car breaks down, people struggle to put food on the table.

“We are seeing a greater trend towards a hungry working poor, especially families and single mothers.”

The Salvation Army, one of the agencies that distributes food, said that while homeless people made up a large proportion of the people they dealt with, they were also beginning to help those with stable jobs and homes.

The Salvation Army’s 2015 economic social impact survey found 10% of Australians said they could not afford to buy enough food, with this proportion on the rise.

The study found that more than half the people the Salvation Army dealt with had gone without meals due to financial hardship.

“We are seeing more and more people who have never been to the Salvos before, people who in the past have helped the Salvos but now need our help,” said Bruce Redman, a Salvation Army spokesman.

“There’s a lot of stress on people with very low paid jobs and on welfare and the dollar isn’t stretching. If something unexpected happens and the money has gone, what do they do? They sit around without heating and lighting and do without meals.”

Redman said the lack of affordable housing and the welfare support available were key.

“If you’re on Newstart it’s an absolute disaster because it is such a small amount of money,” he said. “What are you supposed to buy with that? How can you feed your children?”

Curtin University has started a research project assessing whether the food charity sector is meeting rising demand.

Dr Christina Pollard, of the university’s school of public health, said Australia’s social safety net was “eroding”, contributing to food insecurity.

“The government should acknowledge and report on food insecurity as they do in other countries,” she said. “People are going without food and the problem is quite severe. We need really strong leadership and a national food plan that involves everyone working together on this as a priority.”

Pollard said there had been no strong advocacy around food insecurity in Australia, unlike the high-profile issue of food stamps in the US and the increase in the number of food banks in the UK.

Foodbank Australia has launched a new initiative, called Food Fight, with a number of food brands to encourage donations for people going hungry.

Community organisations are striving to raise awareness of homelessness as part of Homelessness Prevention Week. According to Homelessness Australia, on any given night about 105,000 people, or one in 200 Australians, will have no place to call home.

The peak body said the federal government had damaged homelessness services, such as the provision of accommodation and meals, by defunding advocacy groups and attempting to shift responsibility onto the states and territories.

The federal department of social services has been contacted for comment.