Invercargill residents Kathrine and Nathaniel Barrett with daughters Charmaine, age one, and Olivia, two, say many struggle financially in the city.

Southland people are staunch and walk tall, but will struggle financially without speaking up, an Invercargill father says.

Invercargill residents Nathaniel and Kathrine Barrett, who work as chefs, are one of the reportedly increasing 'middle-class poor' families in Southland.

They are looking to relocate to Christchurch or Dunedin for better hours and pay.

Invercargill Salvation Army Invercargill Corps officer Annette Bray said the organisation was seeing a growing number of people coming to them for help.

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"There's a working class poor. More and more people are coming through."

It could be that there were two family members working but together they didn't have a full time job, Bray said.

"Twenty-five percent of people who come to us for help, somebody is working in the family.

"Probably in days gone by, if someone was working in the family they were doing pretty well. But these days it's not enough."

Nathaniel works about 20-25 hours a week, and Kathrine 30, but with restaurant clientele dwindling in the cold Invercargill winter they had fewer work hours.

In a typical week, Kathrine would earn about $400 and Nathaniel about $360.

Nathaniel said the Work and Income benefit had a $600 gross income cut-off point, which they earn above.

However, their weekly expenses topped $800.

They sometimes could not afford their state home rent and they and their daughters, aged 1 and 2, may have to move in with family.

Nathaniel saw a focus on Auckland poverty in the news, but Southland people suffered too.

"What about the rest of the country. What about us, down here ... We're all Kiwis."

"[Southland people] don't want to ask for help. They've got so much pride. Be staunch, walk tall, and that's Southlanders in and out.

"But it gets to a stage when somebody's got to say something, and make people stop, and make people aware that it's not just Auckland. It's everywhere [else] too, including towns like ours," Nathaniel said.

Some of his friends had moved from Southland to seek better work.

"Some have relocated to Dunedin or Christchurch ... I had a friend relocated and he said he's just got to go where the money is.

"There's more jobs, more hours, better pay rates."

Nathaniel said he has considered moving to Dunedin or Christchurch so that he could work more, and send money back to Invercargill for Kathrine and his children.

"But then, I will have to leave my family and my kids, and that's so hard."

They said one of them could give up work, or they could split up. Both options would make them eligible for more WINZ support.

Nathaniel said the stress put a lot of pressure on the young family.

Invercargill National MP Sarah Dowie said the Southland economy was strong, despite the dairy volatility.

"Manufacturing, tourism and other agricultural sectors are performing well. We also have low unemployment levels, well below the national average, and lower than average living costs with wages growing faster than inflation."

Invercargill Labour MP candidate Liz Craig said evidence showed families cut corners to make ends meet.

Craig said the "biggest killer" in Southland was the power bills, which were higher to heat older houses.

"It's a real issue and I think a lot of community groups see it in Invercargill. The question is, how do we put more money in to families pockets."

Craig said she knew of a few people who had moved from Southland to other regions for better work.

In the 2013 census for people aged 15 years and over, the median income in Southland was $25,800, compared with a median of $24,400 for all of New Zealand.

In Southland 16 per cent of people aged 15 years and over have an annual income of more than $50,000, compared with 18 per cent of people throughout New Zealand.

Jubilee Budget Advisory Service manager Sharon Soper said it was definite families on a "middle-class" income were struggling more than they used to be.

"The first thing is to look at entitlements. A lot of people are not getting all they are entitled to."

Soper said some had moved to Christchurch from Invercargill for job opportunities.

The service wanted higher WINZ accommodation supplements for Southland households, to match the higher cost of power in the region, Soper said.

"Yes we have low rent, but we've got higher power costs."

Barrett family weekly budget:

$170 state home rent

$150 for groceries

$150 babysitter

$100 petrol (travel to Lorneville for work)

$25 internet and phone

$70 power

$58 to pay off car

$34 TV

$30 Work and income debt

$15 credit card

$11 insurance

Total: $813

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