Report: 93% of people renting privately on income support, are in rental stress
27/03/2023
The surging cost of living is having a devastating impact for people on income support, with 68 per cent eating less or skipping meals, according to a new report by ACOSS.
It is extremely difficult to cover the cost of private rental when living on JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and related income supports. Even with Commonwealth Rent Assistance, the maximum of which is $79pw for a single person without children, people’s income support payments are totally inadequate to meet housing costs.
Among the report’s key findings:
➔ Private rental is grossly unaffordable for people on income support with 93% in housing stress
Of the 365 respondents, 59% (215) said they were in private rental. Of this group:
• More than three quarters (76%) reported receiving a rent increase in the past 12 months. Half (50%) of those increases were more than $30 a week, with 29% increasing by more than $50 a week.
• More than half (56%) reported paying more than 50% of their income on rent, with 93% reporting rental stress; that is, paying 30% or more of their income in rent.
