Anglicare Victoria Policy,

Research and Innovation

Brief N o . 4 J u ne 2 0 1 0

Anglicare Victoria’s Hardship Survey 2010

SARAH WISE

Anglicare Victoria’s Hardship Survey 2010 demonstrates that people who have to rely
on welfare agencies for support are too poor to afford many of life’s necessities and
face numerous hardships and personal barriers that block opportunities. These findings
strengthen a call from welfare agencies across the country for structural reform to make
in-roads into deprivation. The necessary action includes an increase in income support to
a level sufficient to meet people’s needs, government investments to deliver affordable
housing and essentail services as well as funded models of emergency relief that
strengthen people and communties.

Introduction The specific aims of the survey were to:

In June 2009 Anglicare Victoria released results from its
first holistic study of hardship among clients receiving
emergency relief services (Wise, Yule, Degenhardt &
Dowa, 2009). The Hardship Survey 2009 provided a
statistical profile of clients and captured the essential
items they were unable to afford. The survey also
considered the incidence of stressful life events and
psychological distress among clients as potential
starting-points of deprivation.
The Hardship Survey 2010 aimed to extend our
understanding of deprivation and the circumstances
of emergency relief clients through a deeper
exploration of deprivation, financial stress and stressful
life events as well as the action clients take to relieve
financial hardship.
• Provide a profile of clients seeking support from
Anglicare Victoria’s emergency relief services
• Quantify deprivation and stressful life events among
emergency relief clients
• Explore the action emergency relief clients take to
relieve their circumstances and
• Provide an evidence-base in order to advocate to
government for action that will combat deprivation
and transform lives.
Research methods
In the last week of April and the first week of May 2010
clients receiving material aid at Anglicare Victoria’s
St Albans, Wangaratta, Fitzroy, Clayton and Lilydale
emergency relief centres were approached to
complete the Hardship Survey 2010. Given the demand
for literacy and the cognitive burden involved in
self-administration, clients were able to have the survey
administered to them face-to-face if this was preferred.
Emergency relief volunteers and co-ordinators
performed the recruitment and provided on-site
administration support, including debriefing and
referral as necessary.

© Anglicare Victoria 2010

The Policy Research and Innovation unit located children, families and their communities.
within Anglicare Victoria undertakes research, For more information please phone
advocacy and knowledge exchange to inspire 03 9412 6133 or go to www.anglicarevic.org.au
developments that will benefit vulnerable ISBN 978-0-9808054-1-3
Anglicare Victoria’s Hardship Survey 2010

Measures Table 1. Proportion of emergency relief clients unable

to afford things that no-one in Australia should have to
The Hardship Survey 2010 followed the methods that go without
have been developed by the Social Policy Research
Centre at the University of New South Wales to present Essential item %
a picture of deprivation among Anglicare Victoria
emergency relief clients. The Deprivation Index includes A week’s holiday away from home
69.2
26 items that are regarded as ‘things that no-one in each year
Australia should have to go without today’ (Saunders,
Up to $500 in savings for an
Naidoo & Griffiths, 2007). Measuring poverty in this 66.7
emergency
way makes it possible to describe the conditions that
emergency relief clients face. The measure of stressful Home contents insurance 60.2
life events was adapted from the Life Experiences
Survey (12 items) (Sarason, Johnson & Seigal, 1978). Comprehensive motor vehicle
54.6
Questions about actions to relieve circumstances and insurance
participation in social and community activities were
adapted from the Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey Dental treatment if needed 51.5
of Britain 1999 (Gordon, 2006). Presents for family or friends at least
38.5
once a year
Survey participants
Medicines prescribed by a doctor 36.4
In all 114 people completed the Hardship Survey 2010.
Roughly one-third (31.1%) were born in a non-English Computer skills 30.4
speaking country. The mean age of respondents was
43.3 (SD = 13.6). Almost two-thirds (66.3%) of clients had A substantial (good) meal at least
29.5
once a day
not completed high school and 62.0% of clients were
women. Only one-quarter (25.0%) of survey respondents A telephone 26.4
were married or living with a partner. Conspicuously,
51.4% of clients had an ongoing disability or medical A decent and secure home 23.6
condition that restricted their daily activities.
A washing machine 22.5
In terms of housing arrangements, about one-third
(36.2%) were renting from a government agency, Secure locks on doors & windows 21.9
33.3% were renting from a private landlord, 13.3% Furniture in reasonable condition 21.4
were boarding and 1.0% were living in supported
accommodation. The remaining participants were Medical treatment if needed 21.0
paying off a mortgage (5.7%), owned their home (3.8%)
or were in other forms of housing such as a shed, motel Warm clothes and bedding, if it’s cold 20.4
or sharing accommodation with friends/relatives (6.7%).
A roof and gutters that do not leak 20.2
Most clients were receiving either a disability support Heating in at least one room of the
pension (31.6%) or a parenting support pension (37.7%). 17.6
house
Strikingly, 40.9% of clients receiving income support were
on a reduced rate of payment. Regular social contact with other
15.1
people
Extent of deprivation and stressful A television 11.9
life events
Six of the 26 items were socially perceived necessities
Clients lacking socially perceived for children and were reported on by parents who
necessities participated in the survey. Table 2 illustrates the
proportion of parents who were too poor to provide
For those 26 items regarded as ‘things that no-one in necessities for their children.
Australia should have to go without today’ the Hardship
Survey 2010 identified how many people have them
and how many cannot afford them. Table 1 on the right
highlights the proportion of clients who are missing out
on essential items.
 Anglicare Victoria Policy, Research and Innovation Brief

Table 2. Proportion of parents unable to afford
necessities for their child(ren)
Essential item
A yearly dental check-up
A hobby or leisure (out-of-school)
activity
Up-to-date schoolbooks and new
school clothes
Participation in school activities
and outings
Clients experiencing stressful life events
Table 4 below shows the proportion of clients who had
% experienced any of 12 life changes or stressful life events
in the past 12 months. The findings indicate that stress and
38.5 tumult are a fact of life for many emergency relief clients.
Further, a large proportion of clients lack a meaningful
connection to the community. Indeed, 41.7% reported
37.0
that they ‘do not have a social life’.
Table 4. Proportion of clients who had experienced
34.7
event in past 12 months
21.1 Events %

A separate bedroom for each child Major financial problems 79.0

16.2
aged over 10 years
Major personal illness or injury 47.3
A separate bed for each child 11.0
Close family member experience
40.4
The data also showed that more than three-quarters a major illness or injury
of clients (78.8%) experienced multiple deprivation,
defined as lacking three or more of the 26 necessities for Moved house, but not through choice 33.0
reasons of affordability. The mean number of necessities Divorced or broken an engagement
clients lacked was 7.7 (SD = 4.9). 32.4
or steady relationship

Experience of financial stress Legal troubles or involvement with the

29.9
police
In order to get a deeper picture of financial stress,
clients indicated on a list which item(s) they had fallen Close family member died 26.6
behind in paying for in the past 12 months. Clients
Burgled or robbed 24.3
also reported whether they had borrowed money
from people or institutions other than banks or building Sacked or made redundant 23.9
societies in the past year in order to pay for their day-to-
day needs. Findings presented in Table 3 below indicate Assaulted or mugged 22.2
that a significant proportion of clients did not have the
means to pay for housing, electricity, gas, telephone Gained a new family member 13.1
and water. Further, the majority of clients (88.6%) were Partner/spouse died 1.9
forced to borrow money to pay for their day-to-day
needs. Of those who had borrowed money in the past
12 months, 28.1% were forced to pawn or sell something Action to relieve adverse
and 16.7% were forced to borrow money from a money circumstances
lender. Approximately half (46.5%) had borrowed
money from friends and 45.6% had borrowed money Many survey respondents were forced to take action
from family. to relieve their financial and personal circumstances.
Clients were asked about the number of times in the
Table 3. Proportion of respondents who were seriously past 12 months they have had to rely on Anglicare
behind in paying for the item within the time allowed Victoria and other welfare agencies for assistance with
food, accommodation, clothes or money. The mean
Behind payment items % number of times respondents had approached a
welfare agency for material aid in the past year was
Rent 47.4
7.5 (SD = 6.2). People receiving a disability support
Electricity 47.4 pension as their main source of income accessed
Telephone 43.9 emergency relief services the most often (Mean = 9.2,
Gas 40.4 SD = 7.2). Table 5 on the next page shows that
many clients were also accessing support from other
Water 27.2
community programs and services for a range of
Other loans 21.9 personal and family issues.
Credit card payments 14.0
Goods on hire purchase 8.8
Child support or maintenance 7.9
Mortgage repayments 7.0
Anglicare Victoria’s Hardship Survey 2010

Table 5. Proportion of clients accessing other Survey responses also indicated that many clients
community programs/support had experienced a recent trauma or stressful event
such as a personal illness or injury and were also
Programs/support % accessing health, housing, drug and alcohol, mental
Disability services 14.0 health, disability and family support services. Anglicare
Victoria’s Hardship Survey 2010 speak to the fact that
Medical/dental/health services 13.2
deprivation, disadvantage, health and emotional
Housing services 10.5 problems and tumultuous events go hand-in-hand, and
Financial counselling services 9.6 are not mitigated by a basic safety-net emergency
Other counselling services 9.6 relief service, however useful in an immediate sense.
Mental health services 8.8 Anglicare Victoria recommends recurrent government
Drug and alcohol services 7.9 funding for innovative models of emergency relief
Family support services 6.1 services that strengthen people and communities.
Legal services 6.1
Child care services 5.3 References
Education/training services 5.3 Gordon, D. (2006). The Concept and Measurement of
Other services 2.6 Poverty, In C. Pantazis, D. Gordon and R. Levitas (eds.),
Ageing/elderly services 1.8 Poverty and Social Exclusion in Britain. The Millenium
Survey, Policy Press, Bristol, pp. 29-69.
Immigration/citizenship services 0.9
Sarason, I., Johnson, J., & Seigal, J. (1978). Assessing
Summary and solutions the impact of life changes: Development of the Life
Experiences Survey. Journal of Consulting and Clinical
Findings from Anglicare Victoria’s Hardship Survey 2010
Psychology, 46(5), 932-946.
describe the desperate circumstances of many clients
accessing emergency relief services as well as the Saunders, P., Naidoo, Y., & Griffiths, M. (2007). Towards
persistent nature of their plight. The majority of clients New Indicators of Disadvantage: Deprivation and Social
were too poor to afford items that no-one in Australia Exclusion in Australia. Social Policy Research Centre:
should have to go without and most lacked multiple Sydney.
essential items. In the past year the majority of clients
(88.6%) were forced to borrow from friends or family Wise, S., Yule, A., Degenhardt, G., & Dowa, S. (2009).
and about one-quarter had pawned or sold something Anglicare Victoria’s Hardship Survey 2009. Anglicare
just to pay for their day-to-day needs. In the 12 months Victoria Policy, Research and Innovation Brief No. 2.
leading up to the Hardship Survey 2010 most clients had Anglicare Victoria: Melbourne.
been forced to seek help from a welfare agency on
multiple occasions.
Acknowledgements
All emergency relief clients rely on income support from
Acknowledgement and thanks are due to the clients
Centrelink, indicating that the social security safety net
who gave their time to participating in the Hardship
provided by the Australian Government was insufficient
Survey 2010 as well as the co-ordinators and volunteers
to meet their needs. The high proportion of clients who
at Anglicare Victoria’s emergency relief services who
were receiving a reduced rate of income support
performed the recruitment and provided on-site
payment suggests a possible relationship between
administration support in Lilydale (Lesley Conway),
a Centrelink debt and financial hardship. The high
Fitzroy (Lorene Noble), Clayton (Louise Lang and
proportion of clients who were at some stage in the
Alex Mills), Wangaratta (Suzanne Don Leonard and
past year seriously behind in paying for essential goods
David Stegman) and St Albans (Faith Johnson and
and services such as rent, electricity, telephone and gas
Garnet Johnson).
speaks to the lack of affordability of basic services.

Anglicare Victoria recommends an increase in income About the author

support to a level sufficient to meet people’s basic
Dr Sarah Wise is the General Manager, Policy, Research
needs, an increase in government investment to grow
and Innovation at Anglicare Victoria.
the stock of public and non-profit housing, greater rent
assistance to deliver affordable housing in the public
and private rental markets as well as government
responsibility for affordability of corporatised essential
services.

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