Grandmother-of-five Lizzie* (last name withheld) sways from side-to-side as she attempts to change her grandchild’s nappy.

“Stay still,” she slurs, as the toddler resists.

The Victorian woman is experiencing the effects of ice, after smoking the drug the night before.

Grandmother of four Maria uses her government pension for ice and feels guilty about it. (9news)

She admits to using her pension to buy drugs, however, doesn’t acknowledge she’s done anything wrong.

In fact, Lizzie’s main concern appears to be the price.

“It’s like $50 a point. That’s a lot of money to people who are on welfare.”

Grandmother of five Lizzie complains that ice is too expensive for people on welfare. (9news)

During our interview, Lizzie tries to control her grandchild, as she boasts about her drug use.

“I’d rather buy ice, go out with my friends, party, instead of buying groceries, yeah,” she says.

Lizzie lives in a run-down housing commission block in Morwell, in the shadow of the billowing smoke stacks that frame the coal mining town.

Inter-generational drug dependency is common in the Victorian town of Morwell, Maria says. (9news)

The apartment is filthy, and the child has scribbled on all the walls.

Lizzie eventually acknowledges that she feels she’s a victim of her circumstances.

“It’s hard on welfare, being an alcoholic, a drug addict, you know. It’s just that vicious cycle,” she said.

Facilities for ice-addicted people in Morwell are not plentiful. (9news)

Astoundingly, Lizzie isn’t the only grandmother in this block spending her pension on drugs.

Grandmother-of-four Maria* (last name withheld) lives upstairs, and unlike Lizzie, she hates the fact she spends her pension on illegal drugs.

“I feel very guilty using government money to score ice,” she says.

“If they said to me they’d give me my welfare on a card, and I wouldn’t get the cash, I’d be very happy with that, ‘cos I want the drugs out of my life altogether. There’s nothing worse than a granny junkie. It’s disgusting.”

Maria receives around $350 a week from the Government, and says it’s “too easy” to buy drugs in in Morwell.

The coal mining town of Morwell. (9news)

“It used to be $100 for a point (of ice). Now, it’s $50 a point.”

Maria’s apartment couldn’t be more different to Lizzie’s. It’s very tidy, and is decorated with posters of polar bears. Sparkly soft toys are proudly displayed in a glass cabinet, and a Bible sits on the shelf.

“Almost everyone here does drugs,” shesays. “Marijuana, ice, morphine, who knows what else.”

Maria doesn’t smoke ice, she injects it. When I ask what she does when she’s high, her answer is surprising.

“Knitting, crocheting, reading … I do a lot of reading when I’m on ice.”

She tells me the last time she injected ice was the previous Friday night, with her adult daughter.

“You know, it’s acceptable for me to sit around and have a scotch with her, that’s fine, in society’s eyes and in my own eyes. But to do ice with your own daughter? I want to be a decent person. I don’t want to do this, it just drives me insane,” Maria says, burying her head in her hands.

Like many of the drug users around her, the grandmother blames society for her substance abuse problems, claiming she’s forced to live near violent drug dealers.

“This place is the biggest trigger I’ve known when it comes to wanting drugs,” she said.

But when I ask why she hasn’t sought treatment, she claims rehab “doesn’t work.”

“What will work?” I ask.

“If the DHS moves me to over-55s accommodation, I won’t even be thinking of it (drugs),” she says.

“I’ll be doing the gardens and that for them (the other residents). I love gardening.”

According to Maria, inter-generational drug dependency is common in Morwell.