MONDAY 1st JULY 2013

Could you live on $35 a day and pay for your food, clothing, transport and other bills? That's what single unemployed people are entitled to on the Federal Government's Newstart allowance.

Australia's economy - and unemployment rate - might be the envy of countries around the world, but it doesn't mean poverty and unemployment have been eradicated.

Welfare agencies say that many individuals and families are just one or two pay cheques away from financial disaster and homelessness. Worse still, with the mining boom coming off the boil, experts predict more people will find themselves out of work.

Next on Four Corners, reporter Geoff Thompson finds out what it's like to lose your job, your home and find yourself dependent on welfare. What he discovers is sobering. Ironically, while economic growth is generally good news, it's also pushed up the cost of living, making life for the unemployed even tougher. A Senate Inquiry report released this month concluded the current unemployment benefit is set too low. For many of the people Four Corners spoke to, accommodation absorbs most of their money, even with additional payments for rent assistance. Running a car and eating nutritious meals becomes close to an impossible dream. The result? Their world contracts and they can find themselves cut off from society.

Spending time with private charitable organisations, Four Corners profiles five people across Australia who are struggling to survive. One of them is John. A few months ago he lost his job. He became ill and was forced into hospital. Now he searches for work and barely survives on the Newstart allowance. John lives on one meal a day of two minute noodles, and his only chance for a good meal is to line up at a food kitchen.

Like so many people, John doesn't want sympathy, he simply wants support that allows him to survive while he looks for work - and he's not an isolated case. Those on the frontline of welfare delivery warn that, based on the figures they are seeing, the problems associated with unemployment will increase in the near future.

Pastor Marty Beckett, who runs an emergency food and accommodation charity, told Four Corners the problem of poverty associated with unemployment isn't getting better:

"No, it's growing. It is growing, unfortunately. I always say to people it'd be great to put ourselves out of a job. I don't see it happening soon though unfortunately. It, it's getting worse."

ON THE BRINK, reported by Geoff Thompson and presented by Kerry O'Brien, goes to air on Monday 1st July at 8.30pm on ABC1. It is replayed on Tuesday 2nd July at 11.35pm. It can also be seen on ABC News 24 on Saturday at 8.00pm, ABC iview or at abc.net.au/4corners.

Transcript

ON THE BRINK - Monday 1 July 2013

KERRY O'BRIEN, PRESENTER: Volunteers gather to help the unemployed.

MARTY BECKETT, PASTOR: We get anywhere from 100 to 130 families that are struggling every week. They're on Centrelink, they might be you know, just struggling to pay the electricity, pay the rent.

KERRY O'BRIEN: In the land of plenty, many Australians can't afford to feed themselves.

CORALEE: I usually just get paid on a Wednesday or a Thursday and by that night or the next morning it's gone.

KERRY O'BRIEN: It's a national problem, and it's getting worse.

VOLUNTEER: To be on long term social security, you know it's very, very difficult. You know very much living in poverty.

KERRY O'BRIEN: The hand to mouth existence of life on the dole. Welcome to Four Corners.

Despite a massive recent economic boom, there are five unemployed people for every vacant job in Australia today. To keep perspective, we've got an unemployment rate that remains the envy of the Western world. But there are still half a million people looking for full time work. They're entitled to a dole payment called Newstart. And more than 75 per cent of those on Newstart are single, and the Government expects them to live on $35 a day, unless they have children. Interesting challenge.

There's almost universal community agreement that Newstart for single people is simply inadequate, even though both sides of politics have argued that it doesn't need to be increased. ACOSS (Australian Council of Social Service), the umbrella organisation representing hundreds of welfare agencies, has today launched a report revealing that they're under enormous strain and unable to meet the desperate and growing demand for help.

To get a sense of life on Newstart, Geoff Thompson spent time with five people willing to share their very personal stories of living on the brink, along with those who help them to survive.

ON SCREEN TEXT: Six hundred and eighty five thousand Australians receive Newstart. Australian incomes have increased at almost twice the rate of Newstart. Singles without children receive $248.50 per week.

GEOFF THOMPSON, REPORTER: It's last light at Kingswood railway station in Sydney's Western Suburbs. Commuters are returning home from work. But not everyone here is walking to the car park to collect their vehicles. Some have come for the only hot meal they'll get all week.

MEAL PARTICIPANT: You're not pushing in front of us?

SECOND PARTICIPANT: No, I...

MEAL PARTICIPANT: You better not of, mate (laughs).

MARTY BECKETT, PASTOR: Let's all bow our heads. Heavenly father we thank you for this food, we ask your blessing to our bodies and we thank you for the company that's here tonight. In Jesus' name, Amen.

PARTICIPANTS: Amen.

(chatter amongst organisers and participants at sausage sizzle meal)

GEOFF THOMPSON: For Pastor Marty Beckett there's nothing unusual about dinner in a car park.

MARTY BECKETT: People say to us "Why are you in the car park?" and, ah, "Why don't you go into a church building or go into a, a hall or whatever?" Well this is where people are, you know, like this is where you meet them and, ah, they walk past and they see you and they go "Hey what's going on?" and you get to share with them what's going on.

GEOFF THOMPSON: It's here Marty's charity, Christ Mission Possible, finds people surviving without enough shelter or food.

MARTY BECKETT, CHRIST MISSION POSSIBLE: You find out what's happening with them, you can offer help. If we're hiding in a building somewhere how are you going to help them? So, yeah, it's good. I love it.

ORGANISER: Do you want some sausage?

GEOFF THOMPSON: The Thursday night car park dinners have their fair share of regulars. Old age and disability pensioners, and some single mums come here to enjoy food donated by local restaurants. For others, it's just a welcome diversion from the loneliness at home.

MARTY BECKETT: Many different types of people. Can be people who're on the pension, people who are just, you know, struggling to get through a week. There's about 1,200 food hampers go out every week into the local community, ah, and then 600 hot meals go out on to the streets as well. And all of those people, they're people who need it, you know? They're struggling.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Ian is 42 and single. He recently became unemployed. He's here for the first time.

(To Ian) How does the food here compare to what you've been having lately?

IAN: Probably better. Really.

GEOFF THOMPSON: The best food you've had all week?

IAN: The first hot meal I've had for a while anyway, yeah. And, ah, I've been, just been eating from supermarket shelves and stuff and it's, yeah, been really good.

GEOFF THOMPSON: And Marty's organisation, they've put you up. You're staying with them at the moment?

IAN: Yes.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Yep.

IAN: Temporary accommodation. They're really nice people. Um, yeah seem, just seems to be going pretty well.

GEOFF THOMPSON: And what do you hope's going to happen next?

IAN: Ah, employment, stable hope - I'll, I'll say I'd have stable, ah, accommodation, stable employment, um, being able to bank my money again, paying off me - I had a MasterCard. I'm into that a thousand dollars. I've got to pay that back. Oh, I just hope everything's going to go real well.

GEOFF THOMPSON: But you need a job mainly yeah?

IAN: Oh I need a job mainly yes. I've got, I've got trade skills. I've got forklift driving skills. I've got, um, process working skills. I've got cleaning skills.

GEOFF THOMPSON: John's eating here tonight for the first time too. He's 23, also single, and unemployed.

(To John) And at the moment you're on Newstart?

JOHN: Yes I am. Yeah.

GEOFF THOMPSON: And tell us about that.

JOHN: It's actually quite difficult to live. You do not have enough money to survive for a fortnight, like I'm on basic five hundred a fortnight and I've barely got enough to feed myself. I'm actually living off two minute noodles at the moment which sucks.

GEOFF THOMPSON: And how does that compare with what you got here tonight?

JOHN: Tonight's dinner actually filled me up, and yeah.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Is it the best meal you've had all week?

JOHN: It's the best meal I've actually had in about two weeks. I'm left with maybe fifty, sixty bucks at the end of the fortnight.

GEOFF THOMPSON: For the whole two weeks?

JOHN: Yep.

GEOFF THOMPSON: So how do you, how do you stretch that out to feed yourself each day?

JOHN: I maybe eat - I only eat one meal a day so and that's only dinner.

GEOFF THOMPSON: 'Cause that's all you can afford?

JOHN: Yep.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Do you feel a bit better with a full stomach?

IAN: Yes. I'm going to go home and go to sleep now and up first thing in the morning, to the Housing Office and then straight on the road looking for work.

JOHN: I'm actually off to the city to go work tonight.

GEOFF THOMPSON: And you're getting paid?

JOHN: No, I'm actually doing it as a volunteer.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Yep and tell us about that.

JOHN: I'm an event manager for a nightclub in the city. Um, I was doing event management before I went in for surgery seven weeks ago and, um, since I've come back I lost my paid position so I came back as a volunteer and, um, I'm in talks of contract at the moment.

GEOFF THOMPSON: When dinner's over the car park crowd waits for their number to be called to grab a free bag of groceries packed earlier in the day.

VOLUNTEER: Number 12 Lee. Lucy?

GEOFF THOMPSON: When someone new turns up, how does that make you feel?

MARTY BECKETT: It's a mixed feeling isn't it because you know they're here 'cause they need help, and you're sad that they need the help. Like we're, we're the kind of, I think we're the kind of service you want to put out of business, you know, if people didn't need help. But they need help and so it's good to be here, and it's always good to be able to offer that help, so yeah it feels good.

GEOFF THOMPSON: For Ian it's been a night of surprises more pleasant than he's recently gotten used to.

IAN: I got plenty of stuff, I got chocolate ice cream even.

GEOFF THOMPSON: You weren't expecting that?

IAN: I wasn't expecting chocolate ice cream. I've even got chips and lollies, dips.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Better than you can afford at the moment?

IAN: Oh, look at it all. I can't afford it. I've got about $9 in the bank I can spend, other than that I've got nothing at all.

Okay guys, I've got to go home, I'm late. Thanks for that. See youse later, have a nice night.

GEOFF THOMPSON: The sun's not quite yet up in the hills around the Victorian city of Geelong.

HELEN LONG: (on phone) Hi, it's just me.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Helen Long is already dealing with clients as she readies her own boys for school.

HELEN LONG, NORTHERN FUTURES: Okay, bye bye (finishes on phone).

(to boys) Okay, you organised? You're going to catch the bus?

CLANCY: In 10 minutes.

HELEN LONG: Can you tell Charles to hurry up?

CLANCY: Charlesey, you've got to hurry up, we've got to catch the bus.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Helen's job is helping the long term unemployed learn to work again through a state government funded centre called Northern Futures. To ensure their clients stay on track, Helen or her colleagues even pick them up from home.

HELEN LONG: (to son on computer) Can I just get back to my calendar? So back to that?

(on phone) Hi Trace, how you going? So are you able to pick up Michael? Do you remember his address? Now the other thing is, Jodie's just text in and said that she's got an appointment at one o'clock, at um, drug and alcohol.

(to son) Have a good day. Be good.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Victoria's second largest city was once a thriving centre of Australian manufacturing. For decades, that sector has been in decline. Hundreds of jobs have just been lost at Target's Geelong headquarters and the future of Shell's plant here is also in doubt. Ford's factory shuts down in 2016. Geelong's northern suburbs have some of the highest rates of unemployment in the country.

HELEN LONG: (arriving at work) Hi Bruce. How are you going?

BRUCE: Good thanks.

HELEN LONG: What happened in the 50s and beyond was manufacturing started to decline so, so did the jobs. We also had what's called the middle class flight. So as people had more resources they bought outside the suburb, which left homes to be bought up for rentals. So in this area we have a high amount of rentals and a high amount of public housing. So of course what's happened is gradually we've got more and more and more unemployment so we're up to nine to 10 per cent in this area as opposed to the, um, state average which I think is about 4.5 at the moment.

(at work entering office meeting) Okay.

AMY: Okay, this is the first, this is the first, um, transition.

COLLEAGUE: Yes, yes. Exciting.

SECOND COLLEAGUE: How great's that?

AMY: I know.

SECOND COLLEAGUE: Are you excited?

AMY: Yeah.

SECOND COLLEAGUE: How good's that.

HELEN LONG: It's just amazing.

AMY: Morning.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Amy is one of Helen's clients. She's 37 and has a 15 year old daughter. She has been on Newstart for the past four years.

HELEN LONG: Ah, I met Amy, probably 10 weeks ago. Amy came in as, what I - it always affects me, with no hope. She was a person who, ah, didn't trust anyone and had no reason to trust anyone, and was really just, ah, she made a comment which really affected me which was "I'm just waiting, ah, for my daughter to grow up, and then I don't see a future for me." So I think what she was saying there, which some people do is, um, "At some stage I will give up on life because there is no future and I don't want to keep living it."

HELEN LONG: So when you first came here, were you - you were homeless then weren't you?

AMY: Yes.

HELEN LONG: So you'd been couch surfing?

AMY: For about a week and a half um, and then I went to the Salvos.

GEOFF THOMPSON: For 10 days Amy was homeless. At the lowest point her only sanctuary was her car.

AMY: Just under this tree here. So this is it, this was my home for the night, one night, so.

GEOFF THOMPSON: How did you feel that night?

AMY: I was scared. It gets dark out here, and I pretty much, I felt worthless because if, you know, you get to the point where you haven't, no-one gives a crap about ya. Um, full - knowing full well that they do, but it's just at that point, I was just angry and upset and just thought no-one cared so. But it's going to get better so. Never ever going to be in this situation again, ever again.

It was only one night. The other nights I'd just stay out the front of me friends' houses or, um, and it was only like for a week until I got the phone call off the Salvos, and got told I could stay in one of their motel, ah, hotel rooms.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Amy and her daughter Ashley have been living in emergency accommodation provided by the Salvation Army for the past 12 weeks. It's one room and a bathroom.

AMY: This is where I'm living. Ashley's bed, my bed, and what I have to live with. It's not easy 'cause I can't cook. Um I can't actually- I don't have a sink to um wash my dishes in, and ah, yeah, it's just, it's actually really hard because Ashley hasn't, um, eaten properly in a while. So, need to get back to that, so.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Is it difficult, and are there other reasons it's difficult being here?

AMY: Oh, the - there's so many dramas. Um I want to try and like, yeah, just the dramas. There's too much. Um I just want a quiet life! Um I don't like confrontation and stuff. It's hard. It's hard. It's hard for everyone in here, so. But light at the end of the tunnel, so.

You don't know how much you miss, like, an actual kitchen sink being in here. You realise how actually you have, with the toilet being in the same room that you're washing your dishes in, and you got the clean dishes in there, it's, um, not, not right.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Tonight's dinner is leftovers from the cafe where Amy works part time. For six hours' work she earns $105 a week. That means a $30 cut from her Newstart payment.

AMY: I want to get a better job, a better job that will be full time so I can provide and not have to um rely on welfare.

GEOFF THOMPSON: And do you think people choose to be on welfare? Is that a choice that people...

AMY: Some people do, yeah. Some people choose to do that. Um, whether it's the way they've been brought up, in that environment, like, of their parents being welfare. Um, but yeah, people choose to.

GEOFF THOMPSON: And why would you choose? I mean is it a life - do you think there's enough, there's enough money to have a happy...

AMY: No.

GEOFF THOMPSON: A happy existence on it?

AMY: No, not at all. Not at all. It's um, it's not worth it really. It's not worth the worrying about whether you're gonna get your bills paid or whether, you know, whether you can go out and buy stuff for your kids or whatever. It's not worth, um, being on welfare at all. No.

CORALEE: The doc said if I keep taking my medicine I should be right by Monday.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Coralee is a 42 year old single mum.

HELEN LONG: Coralee is a mum who came to us probably 12 weeks ago. Again, has been put on from a parenting payment to Newstart and her youngest son is eight, so she has a requirement to be working. And she wants to work. She wants to be part of society. Um, but she comes, Coralee comes after losing her husband eight years ago, with a lot of anxiety, a lot of health issues.

GEOFF THOMPSON: With her son turning eight, Coralee was forced off a single parenting payment and onto Newstart this year. Her income dropped by $60 a week. It also upended her already frail financial situation.

CORALEE: The next week I was getting letters from the Housing Commission saying I hadn't paid my rent. I was getting from all the direct debits I get taken out of my, um, pension they were, I hadn't paid them. So everyone's demanding their money. I had two direct debits coming out from a loan company so that put me in debt for my bank $80 that week. So for the next two months I was, I really still haven't caught up from January because every week, every time I got money in that bank, the bank would swallow it because they're taking back the fees that I didn't have the money there to replace in the first, do you know what I mean?

HELEN LONG: Absolutely.

CORALEE: So the banks charged me for not having money there that I, that Centrelink didn't put in and other times beforehand.

HELEN LONG: Yep so you just got caught in, um, this whole cycle and - but did you end up with less money on Newstart or not?

CORALEE: Yep.

GEOFF THOMPSON: On top of everything else, Coralee's days are crippled by anxiety.

CORALEE: Very bad. Like this morning I haven't - it took me about an hour to stop vomiting and dry retching and, um, it makes everyone late. Someone will turn - like this morning I was that sick and then tradesmen turn up, so that puts me back again so then my son was late for school, I'm late here for school and it just puts everyone back.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Unlike Amy, Coralee's living arrangements are stable. Over the last eight years she has raised two kids on her own in this Housing Commission home - 17 year old Kristen, and eight year old George.

GEORGE: Once upon a time a poor family lived in a small village. They had to work very hard to grow...

CORALEE: Sound it out.

GEORGE: ...enough rice to eat.

CORALEE: Well originally I stopped working so I could look after George's father. He had motor neurone disease. I wasn't supposed to be able to have any more children, supposedly, and then I got pregnant with George. And then after he died I just wanted to be with George all the time because I was, I don't know, because I always felt guilty with him, because even when we were pregnant we always knew that his father wasn't going to survive. It was a disease that there was no cure for.

So it was always maybe the guilt that I knew it was always only ever going to be me. He could never do anything. When he was born he couldn't even hold him. So I knew it was only ever going to be me so I resigned myself to it. It was my responsibility. I wanted to, I always said I wanted to have these children so I'm the one who has to look after 'em and bring them up, and stay at home with them and yeah, not drink around them, and yeah all that, so I didn't. I sheltered him probably too much (laughs). But then my daughter's still doing year 12 so I think I've done alright there (laughs).

ON SCREEN TEXT: More than 63,000 single parents were moved onto Newstart this year. Payments dropped by up to $65 a week.

CORALEE: I usually just get paid on a Wednesday or a Thursday and by that night or the next morning it's gone - only on food and I'll fill the car up. We'll buy food and then I don't care if we haven't got anything else. I'll wait until Tuesday or Wednesday or something like that then. So long as we've got our petrol and our food we don't care.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Back at Northern Futures, Amy at last gets some welcome news.

HELEN LONG: So have you told your daughter?

AMY: Yeah.

HELEN LONG: And?

AMY: We're going to go and have a look this afternoon at it. So she was all excited, jumping up and down and everything.

HELEN LONG: So Torquay Road, how far...?

AMY: Um it's right up the top, um, you know where the vet is, up the top of Torquay?

HELEN LONG: Yep.

AMY: Yeah it's just past that. It's in, like, a group of units.

HELEN LONG: And that's for nine, nine weeks?

AMY: Yeah nine weeks.

ASHLEY: It's number four yeah?

AMY: Yeah. You can't see in though.

GEOFF THOMPSON: The Salvation Army has found them a temporary home, but not yet the keys.

AMY: Exciting.

ASHLEY: It's pretty good.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Better than where you are?

ASHLEY: A lot better than where we are.

AMY: It's good. It'll be nice and quiet and yeah, we'll be able to just have our time. So yeah it's good.

Be able to get into a routine and not having to worry whether I'm going to have somewhere to sleep at the end of the night. So, and close to schools too, so with Ashley with school, so it's good.

HELEN LONG: No doubt if, if Amy keeps going the way she's going, um, we will have her employed next year and she will be independent, financially independent and able to, if she wants to, rent her own home, mmm.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Over the last decade economic growth in Western Australia has outstripped the rest of the nation. With the mining boom slowing, that trend may be in retreat. Half an hour north of Perth is the city of Joondalup. The rows of new buildings and new developments suggest that most here are still doing well. Less starkly visible are those who are not.

TINA BENNETT, THE SPIERS CENTRE: Morning Kyla, morning Mel.

GEOFF THOMPSON: The Spiers Centre, funded by State and Federal Governments helps the people the mining boom has squeezed out or left behind.

TINA BENNETT: Um the, the rents in WA especially have increased even more than, um, the rents throughout the rest of Australia thanks to the mining boom amongst other things and the rising cost of living. But it's private rent that people are struggling with the most we're finding.

(to work colleague) So if you could start by checking the messages please.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Tina Bennett is one of the centre's financial counsellors.

TINA BENNETT: We have had several clients that have been retrenched from mining jobs, um, but from jobs in particular, yes. The, it's the older clients that have the trouble getting back into the workforce. Ah there's definitely a rise in unemployment.

RECEPTIONIST: Hi Tina. Barbara is here to see you. Okay bye.

(To Barbara) She won't be long.

ON SCREEN TEXT: One in four people on Newstart are aged over 50.

TINA BENNETT: Hi Barbara, I'm Tina how are you? Come through. You made yourself a coffee? That's great, come in and have a seat.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Fifty two year old Barbara has been unemployed for two months. A painful bone disorder means she can no longer work as a patient carer at a children's hospital. She's shifting from sickness benefits to Newstart, which is about the same amount. After covering her rent and utilities she's left with just $45 a week.

TINA BENNETT: Do you have a home telephone?

BARBARA: I've been unable to put the phone on due to not being able to cover even the rental and so forth, so I just basically use my mobile but I can't, I haven't even got credit on that because that's $30 out of this payment. So I've just got like a $2 sim card in so that people can contact me.

TINA BENNETT: But you can't make outgoing calls?

BARBARA: No, unless through friend or, yeah.

TINA BENNETT: Okay. And then you've got medications as well that you need to buy?

BARBARA: Yeah, yeah.

TINA BENNETT: And how much do they normally cost you?

BARBARA: Ah probably about, um, $40 a month, that's with the...

TINA BENNETT: That's with PBS concessions, yeah.

BARBARA: Yeah, yeah.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Without work Barbara's options are bleak. She owes money on a lapsed phone contract and the repayments on her car have fallen far behind. It's already worth much less than the amount she borrowed.

TINA BENNETT: Okay, well there's a copy of your income and expenditure or budget for you. Um, and as you can see that's gone into the red unfortunately. It's just yep, not enough coming in at the moment. Um, so your biggest concern at the moment is probably the car loan.

BARBARA: Yep.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Simple things like toiletries are now luxuries Barbara can't afford. Tina's offering of $60 in supermarket gift cards brings unexpected relief.

BARBARA: Oh, I'm, I'm just - because I've been struggling with, you know, personal items and, you know, for my daughter and you know a lot of it's been given to me by family and, and just to be able to go and buy it for ourselves is really nice and I really appreciate that. That's just really, yeah...

TINA BENNETT: That's okay.

BARBARA: Oh I feel, yeah, sorry about that.

TINA BENNETT: That's okay. You don't have to apologise. I can also get you some personal items on your way out as well to save you having to buy it from the card. Sorry, I don't where the tissues have gone.

BARBARA: It's really, really you know touching. And you know I'm a, I know I've had help before, but that's just like oh my god, I can actually go and buy, buy something you know, um, for my daughter and just simple things for her, you know?

TINA BENNETT: Yeah.

BARBARA: So that's, thank you so much.

TINA BENNETT: That's okay. You're welcome Barbara.

Barbara's situation is indicative of, um, a lot of the clients that we see. Everything's going okay but it just takes one incident for it all to fall apart. A lot of people are basically just one pay cheque away from financial hardship and it only takes something like sickness or unemployment, something unforeseen, because clients are on low incomes to start with, they're not able to build up savings. They don't have the resilience to plan ahead. Sometimes even insurance is an extra cost that they're not able to afford.

GEOFF THOMPSON: For the first time in a long time, for Barbara going shopping has been a pleasant experience.

BARBARA: Well it's better than what I normally could get. Yeah.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Is that...?

BARBARA: I, I got some really good specials as well, so that's what I looked for, yeah.

GEOFF THOMPSON: And does that make a difference to how you're feeling at the moment?

BARBARA: Of course, yeah. Yeah. So um you know, even things like yoghurt you sort of don't get because you tend to get the either butter or milk or the nec - real necessities, so this is like a treat.

GEOFF THOMPSON: And how do you feel being in that situation when you've worked all your life?

BARBARA: Ah yeah, it's not very nice feeling. Um, on your own trying to bring up a teenage daughter as well, it has an impact on her. So yeah, I mean you just have to accept it and situation you're in and, and get on with it, yeah.

GEOFF THOMPSON: And how do you hope things are going to change?

BARBARA: Ah well obviously I'm looking at, you know, entering back into the workforce. I'm studying at the moment to, to be able to help me to get a job that can help me cover my costs quite comfortably. Um yeah, so in the meantime I just have to accept that this is the situation I'm in and do the best I can with what I've got, and the help through the Spier Centre and places like that. If it wasn't for them then I, I really truly would be stuck. Um, I had a lot of support and help from my family and friends, and without them I, I really don't know how I would a managed, so that's how I survive.

And then I got some toiletries for my daughter because normally I wouldn't be able to get it. Um, and I shouldn't a got it because that's that little bit of extra that I spend on, which I should maybe have got food. But just simple things like a decent deodorant for her, personal items, and a little treat of a spray for her, which I hadn't been able to get for ages. So she'll be happy with that. Yeah, so they're for her. And that was, I - The Spier Centre gave me a $60 voucher, which I was really taken with that. And the shopping today cost me $57. So what I've got is yeah, I'm happy with that. I even got toilet paper, which sometimes very hard when you haven't got the money.

GEOFF THOMPSON: So what have you got left? Until when?

BARBARA: Ah I've got, from the voucher $3 and from my, um, payment with Centrelink and the costs I have, I've got $44 left for the next two weeks til my next payment.

GEOFF THOMPSON: How does life compare now with when you had a job?

BARBARA: Well it's, for myself, like socially is pretty non, non-existent. Um I just find that you know, the simple things like even just going out for a cup of coffee um I have to decline. Um, so really I just yeah, I, I'm sort of stuck as to how to explain it because, um, you know unless you're in that situation um, you don't sort of understand what people like myself are going through.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Staff at the Spiers Centre are braced for even greater demand on their services if the mining boom slows.

TINA BENNETT: I would say over the next six months we're going to see an increase in people facing evictions um, families and people in financial hardship, being unable to afford to pay mortgages and loans and credit cards. Trouble with utility bills, sometimes that can be a first indicator that people are in financial hardship. They might try to maintain their payments to keep the roof over their head, and it's the bills that come in occasionally, such as um electricity, water, that um, and car regos, that they have trouble with because they're not budgeting for them. They're just living day to day and sometimes there's not even enough for proper food to go on the table.

GEOFF THOMPSON: If you have those high rents and then you have the big paying jobs in decline, ah, are you a bit concerned about how that's all going to pan out?

TINA BENNETT: Very concerned, yes. I mean, we're in crisis mode at the moment at this centre and at other agencies trying to deal with the backlash of rising costs, unemployment and cost of housing so I dread to think what it's going to be like in the near future.

GEOFF THOMPSON: The last time we met Ian he was practically homeless. Now, on the outskirts of Sydney on the Hawkesbury River he's found a caravan he can afford. It costs him $160 a week.

IAN: I'm starting to go forward now. I've got a place to stay. I'm not on the street. Um, I'm not going bankrupt! (Laughs). Mmm, all round better! I've got $36 and I've still gotta do me washing! That's gotta keep me for another week. But I should be alright. Mmm.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Ian still relies on food parcels from local charities.

(To Ian) If there weren't organisations like that, what would your situation be?

IAN: Unpleasant, very unpleasant. I'd be, um, still camping in the bush. Um, just unpleasant. Yeah.

GEOFF THOMPSON: How do you spend your, spend your days usually?

IAN: Looking for work. Cold canvassing, handing out resumes, applying for jobs on the internet, thinking of other job opportunities I can think of to investigate. Um, all round job seeking. I've been all round the industrial area. I've um handed out between 20 and 30 resumes. Yeah, so hopefully slowly I'll be getting back on my feet.

GEOFF THOMPSON: How did it go?

IAN: Good. Oh not too bad. They said, most of them said it was pretty quiet. There was, ah, one guy there who said he might be interested in a little while's time but other than that, nothing.

GEOFF THOMPSON: So what's next?

IAN: Probably up the street, have a look up there, or down here or - and see how we go.

GEOFF THOMPSON: Good luck.

IAN: Thank you, see you later.

GEOFF THOMPSON: John is still hoping volunteer work will lead to a full time job. Amy's moved into her transitional home while training for more permanent employment. Coralee's just begun a voluntary placement in an aged care facility. Barbara's looking into a disability pension while completing studies at TAFE. She hopes to secure a job in community services.

Back in Western Sydney, there's another car park rush hour. This time it's for breakfast.

MARTY BECKETT: People come here to get a good brekkie, good wholesome brekkie in the mornings, kick-start their day, and a lot of homeless people as well. People who genuinely can't afford a home on Newstart or whatever and they're actually sleeping rough on the streets. It is growing, um, unfortunately. I always say to people it'd be great to put ourselves out of a job. Ah, I don't see it happening soon though unfortunately. It, it's getting worse.

GEOFF THOMPSON: And why is that?

MARTY BECKETT: People are under a lot of pressure, you know. Ah, costs of living goes up. I was talking to a lady this morning, she got an extra $13 in her pension but her rent, the next week her rent went up by $10. You know, like, people just can't seem to get a break, you know what I mean? So, uh, people are doing it tough.

KERRY O'BRIEN: I think you get the idea.

If anyone would like more information about the three organisations mentioned in tonight's program, Christ Mission Possible, Northern Futures, and The Spiers Centre, you'll find it on our website.

Next week on Four Corners Marian Wilkinson reports on one of the most tumultuous weeks in Australian political history.

Until then, goodnight.

END

Background Information

ORGANISATIONS FEATURED IN THE PROGRAM

Christ Mission Possible (NSW) is a Western Sydney based charity providing emergency relief and housing. cmp.org.au/

Northern Futures (VIC) works in collaboration with The Brotherhood of St Laurence, to create employment and training opportunities for the local community. northernfuturesgeelong.net and The Brotherhood of St Laurence

Salvation Army (VIC) - Emergency accommodation in the Geelong area. salvos.org.au/bellarinepeninsula/.../salvo-connect-network/

The Spiers Centre (WA) have three main services: The Poverty Program, the Individual and Family Support Program and the Community and Social Support Program. www.thespierscentre.com.au/

NEWSTART STATISTICS

NEWSTART ALLOWANCE VS WEEKLY MEDIAN RENT: Four Corners compared the median rental prices to the Newstart Allowance in Joondelup, WA; Geelong, VIC and Kingswood, NSW - the three regions featured in Geoff Thompson's report 'On The Brink'. Newstart recipients frequently say rent is their single largest weekly cost.

INCREASE IN NEWSTART VS INCREASE IN WEEKLY INCOME: Four Corners compared the increase in average weekly earnings to the Newstart Allowance since September 2000. This graph shows that Newstart has failed to keep pace with weekly incomes across Australia over the past 12 years.

KEY REPORTS

Senate Committee Report | Nov 2012 - The adequacy of the allowance payment system for jobseekers and others, the appropriateness of the allowance payment system as a support into work and the impact of the changing nature of the labour market.

Australian Community Sector Survey 2013 | Australian Council of Social Service | 1 Jul 2013 - The annual Australian Community Sector Survey of over 500 agencies shows that housing availability and affordability is the greatest unmet need for clients of welfare services, followed by community-based care and treatment for mental illness and emergency relief. Download the report. [PDF 3Mb]

"It's Not Asking Too Much" The Salvation Army Economic and Social Impact Survey | May 2013 - The survey found a significant proportion of people accessing help from the Salvos are struggling to meet routine expenses and financial commitments. Key statistics included that: 51% of respondents have gone without meals; 58% of respondents are unable to pay utility bills on time; 92% of respondents have little or no savings in case of an emergency.

BCA Submission to Senate to Social Security Amendment Bill | Jun 2013 - The Business Council of Australia has made a submission to the Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Social Security Amendment (Supporting More Australians into Work) Bill 2013. Read their submission.

'End Hunger in Australia' | Foodbank Report | 2012 - Foodbank has produced a report on hunger in Australia. It presents the results of a survey of welfare agencies sourcing food from Foodbank undertaken in 2011, and highlights the food needs of those agencies in addressing food insecurity among individuals and families in Australia. Download here.

Poverty in Australia Report 2012 | ACOSS | 2012 - The Poverty in Australia Report 2012 shows that poverty in Australia remains a persistent problem with an estimated 2,265,000 people or 12.8% of all people living below the internationally accepted poverty line used to measure financial hardship in wealthy countries.

Nation's legal services reaching homeless service crisis levels 2012 | ACOSS | Aug 2012 - Australia's housing and homelessness services are stretched and unable to meet growing demand for services, but are closely followed by community legal services which are facing chronic underfunding, longer waiting lists, and turning away greater numbers of people, according to the ACOSS Australian Community Sector Survey 2012

Social Security Amendment (Supporting More Australians into Work) Bill 2013 Senate Report | Jun 2013 - The Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee recommends that the Government increase the base rate of Newstart Allowance.

ACOSS CAMPAIGN TO INCREASE NEWSTART ALLOWANCE

Newstart Campaign: $35 a day is not enough! - ACOSS Campaign to raise unemployment allowances such as Newstart and improve jobs assistance.

ACOSS Factsheet: Newstart Allowance - A statistical factsheet outlining the cost of living against the newstart allowance. [PDF 500Kb]

'Surviving, not living' - ACOSS Senate Submission - ACOSS made this submission to the 2012 Senate Inquiry on the adequacy of 'allowance' payment.

RELATED NEWS AND ANALYSIS

Welfare agencies say Australia is facing a housing crisis and they cannot cope with demand | ABC News | 1 Jul 2013 - Australia's peak welfare body says the nation is a facing a housing crisis with agencies unable to cope with demand.

COMMENT: How can 600,000 children living in poverty not engender moral outrage? | The Guardian | 28 June 2013 - Whether it's children living in poverty, or children unjustly living in detention centres, Australia is letting them down. We can do better than this shameless indifference. By Judi Moylan

Single mums will get back cuts | The Australian | 28 Jun 2013 - Kevin Rudd will reverse some of the cuts to the welfare payments of single parents and commit to an in-principle pledge to increase Newstart, in a radical departure from Julia Gillard's welfare agenda.

More single-parent households living in poverty, HILDA survey finds | ABC News | 12 Jun 2013 - Cuts to single parent welfare payments may be pushing more children into poverty, according to researchers working on a decade-long, nationwide study. This year's survey has found 24 per cent of children in single-parent households are living in poverty, compared with 7.6 per cent of those living with two parents.

VIDEO: Vinnies facing rising demand from families | ABC News | 21 Jun 2013 - The St Vincent de Paul Society says the number of families facing financial hardship is growing in central Queensland.

Homelessness report: fall in rough sleepers but overall number of homeless rises | ABC News | 5 Jun 2013 - Welfare groups says a new report that shows homelessness is growing in Australia must prompt all governments to work harder towards establishing a new national funding agreement to tackle the problem.

VIDEO: Mission impossible for low income renters | ABC News | 29 Apr 2013 - A new report has found young Tasmanians on low incomes are finding it almost impossible to find affordable housing.

Barriers impede jobseekers | The Australian | 7 Jun 2013 - New figures show that 76 per cent of the nation's most long-term unemployed - 86,419 people - have five or more barriers to employment... The main barriers to work identified were limited employment history - 60 per cent - followed by psychological/psychiatric condition or mood disorder (44 per cent), limited skills and experience (43 per cent), transport (36 per cent) and limited jobseeking skills (29 per cent).

Wage subsidy scheme hailed as up to half of recipients maintain jobs | The Australian | 31 May 2013 - Almost half of the unemployed people placed into jobs through the federal government's wage subsidy scheme remain in work after the six-month placement has ended.

VIDEO: Macklin challenged to live on dole for a week | ABC News | 3 Jan 2013 - Families Minister Jenny Macklin has come under fire for claiming she could live on the dole of about $35 a day - with the Greens challenging her to try it for a week.

GENERAL ADVICE AND SUPPORT

The Australian Council of Social Service is the peak body of the community sector and the voice for low income people in Australia. www.acoss.org.au/

Anglicare Australia | @anglicare_aust - A faith based network of social service organisations providing care and support in communities right across Australia. www.anglicare.asn.au/

Benevolent Society | @benevolentAU - A not-for-profit and non-religious organisation and we've helped people, families and communities achieve positive change for 200 years. www.benevolent.org.au/

Beyondblue | 1300 22 4636 - The beyondblue support service provides advice and support via telephone 24/7. www.beyondblue.org.au/

Brotherhood of St Laurence | @Brotherhoodinfo - Through research, services and advocacy, the Brotherhood of St Laurence helps people experiencing disadvantage at all stages of life to build a better future for themselves and their families. www.bsl.org.au

The Brotherhood Community Stores | Call 1300 Donate - The website gives you more information about what the Brotherhood stores offer. www.brotherhoodstores.com/

The Carevan Foundation | @au_carevan - Carevan was formed Dec 2009 in Albury Wodonga with the vision to help feed, house and educate the homeless, the disadvantaged and the young people in need in rural, remote and regional Australia. The core function it performs is feeding the homeless by way of providing free meals at designated public sites 4 times during each week. Carevans now operates in Albury Wodonga, Wangaratta, Blacktown Central Coast and Griffith. Find out more on their website. www.carevan.com.au/

The National Council of Single Mothers and their Children Incorporated - NCSMC provides access to information and support to mothers living in financial hardship. www.ncsmc.org.au/

Parent Line | 1300 1300 52 - A 24-hour helpline that provides counselling and support. Parents, grandparents and carers anywhere in the state can call Parent Line for no more than the cost of a local call. www.parentline.org.au/

The Salvation Army offers a range of support options to help families and individuals in need. salvos.org.au/need-help/

Reach Out! - A website offering help and information for young people. au.reachout.com

HOUSING SUPPORT

Help the Homeless | St Vincent de Paul Society | @VinniesAust - The St Vincent de Paul Society currently funds homeless men's hostels, women's refuges, homeless family services, youth crisis centres, youth drop-in centres, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres and 'night patrol' or 'soup van' services. www.vinnies.org.au/how-to-help-national

Homelessness Australia | @HomelessnessAus - Homelessness Australia works in collaboration with homelessness assistance services, state and national homelessness peak organisations, other peak organisations, government agencies and the broader community. www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/

Mission Australia | Homelessness - We work to address the underlying causes that lead people to spiral into homelessness. Our staff are empowered to develop long term solutions that fit with the specific needs of their homeless clients, their family and their community. www.missionaustralia.com.au/community-services/homelessness

INCOME AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Centrelink http://www.centrelink.gov.au

Child Support Agency http://www.csa.gov.au/

MoneyHelp | 1800 007 007 - Free financial counselling use MoneyHelp's free phone financial counselling service. http://www.moneyhelp.org.au/

MoneySmart - Advice to help you make better financial decisions from ASIC and the Australian Government. www.moneysmart.gov.au/

Moneycare - The Salvation Army's Moneycare is a free and confidential financial counselling service for people facing financial difficulties or wanting to avoid financial difficulties in the future. Staff are able to help with a range of issues including budgeting, credit, debt and repossession. salvos.org.au/.../financial-counselling.php

The National Welfare Rights Network (NWRN) is a peak body representing community legal centres and organisations whose role is to provide people with information, advice and representation about Australia's social security system. www.welfarerights.org.au/

EMPLOYMENT ADVICE AND SERVICES

Employment Services Assessments | 1300 363 079 - Job seekers with disability, injury, illness or other disadvantage can get help from the Australian Government to find the most appropriate employment service assistance. deewr.gov.au/employment-services-assessments

Family Centred Employment Project | 1300 363 079 - FCEP uses a community approach to help long-term jobless families find solutions to their barriers to employment. The project currently operates in these locations: Broadmeadows, Victoria; Goodna, Queensland; Port Adelaide, South Australia. deewr.gov.au/family-centred-employment-project

myfuture - This is a national careers information website, jointly managed by all the state and territory governments. It has extensive information about jobs, careers, education and training to help young people plan for their future. It includes a section for parents on helping your child choose a career. www.myfuture.edu.au/