Category: cost of living

Poverty and Vulnerability

Poverty makes people vulnerable to exploitation. Whether that’s remaining in an abusive personal relationship because you can’t afford to live anywhere else, or you take on unsafe or underpaid work, it’s anything that means you have to give up safety or your values to just survive.

This week, it looks like some of the racist / antisemitic / anti-Islamic attacks and graffiti in the Sydney area may have been carried out by people paid to do so. Kinda like the attack on Burgertory, tho what came of that?

So, let’s say some of the people are doing these divisive things because they’re been paid. They always say that everyone has a price, it just differs depending on the emphasis you place on different areas of your life and how desperate you are to go against your beliefs, or the law, to survive another week. To pay off a debt, to fix that car, to escape the other unsafe part of your life.

If they were social housing tenants, they’re likely on welfare, which is well below the poverty line. They’re guaranteed to be struggling in a country where double income families are struggling. So, whether it’s shoplifting dinner, selling some powertools that fell off the back of a tradie’s ute, or seeing an ad that promises thousands for an act of vandalism that you may or may not be caught for, you’re vulnerable, whether you’re actually racist or not.

Another reason I say social cohesion is something we have to support people to attain, rather than penalise those who are not toeing the line of the day. A fed and housed community is a happy one. That’s where you get your social cohesion, not by leaving people vulnerable to radical acts to put food on the table for their kids.

Albanese and co need to see this, and support people. Support them financially. Support them with housing. Support them to be able to work in non-exploitative jobs. To associate with who they want to because they can afford to choose that.

and yes, it was a Nazi salute.

Nazi salute meme

Food banks are broken, just like the rest of system they are in

So, I’ve been sharing this article “Shopping at Australian food charities can be more expensive than supermarkets. What’s gone wrong?” because I’m the foodbank user quoted and because the whole system is broken when charities on the ground are struggling to afford to buy food from mega charities to continue their essential work on the ground.

Regulars here know the story – I shop around foodbanks and Aldi and occasionally the majors since I have all three in my major town centre, in order to get the best value for myself and my little family that looks different each time I take stock. I haven’t gotten back to doing that this year – the food charities are reopening this week after Xmas shutdown, and I don’t have access to a car all the time since one is off the road at the moment. So I’m shopping at Aldi (or my partner is) and we’re getting our meal boxes and I’m sure it’s better for my waistline to not be able to get more food for less, but ugh I’m bored lol. Also, my stepson’s summer job just ended so he’s eating more at home and earning less until the Centrelink systems are reliable enough to reapply for jobseeker or he can find another casual job around the place.

Foodbank branches in NSW and Victoria operate under different rules: in NSW, charities who buy from Foodbank can charge their customers, while in Victoria charities must give the food away. The money Foodbank charges charities covers its handling fees – the cost of sourcing and redistributing the food. A Victorian-based charity worker, who did not want to be named, said that Foodbank had raised its prices to the point where the charity she works at was struggling to stay open. Screenshots taken last month from Foodbank’s online pantry, seen by Guardian Australia, show some items were significantly more expensive compared with major supermarkets. Composite image of dishwashing liquid prices on websites View image in fullscreen Some products are cheaper at major supermarkets, in this case dishwashing liquid at Woolworths. Composite: Woolworths website/Foodbank website Charities could buy dry dog food from Foodbank for $2.08 per 100g, compared with $0.23 per 100g at Coles. Dishwashing liquid was $1.15 for 495ml at Foodbank while shoppers could buy a litre for under $1.50 at all three majors. The charity worker says Foodbank prices have spiked in the last two years. In 2022, she says a dozen 450g cans of tinned ham cost $3.02 but last month was $64.30. In 2022, a dozen 400g Christmas puddings cost $5.40 but was now $43.80.

I knew that charities on the ground were facing increased costs for their purchases from Foodbank, but I didn’t realise it had gone up so much.

But I don’t see the answer as giving more money to Foodbank itself. They have corporate and individual donors, they have government funding, volunteer labour and other in-kind support, and yet they still have to charge more to the charities on the ground to receive the food and other items.

She stresses Foodbank provides a vital service, that they do good work and are underfunded. But the system is broken, she says. “The point is, they should be well funded so they don’t have to sell food, right? And we should be well funded so we don’t have to sell food.” The federal assistant minister for charities, Andrew Leigh, says “Labor strongly supports the value of food relief”. “Over the past 12 months, we have announced nearly $20m in additional funding for emergency and food relief charities,” Leigh said in a statement.

I also find myself even more cranky at the local charities that on-sell the items with significant markups (to just under full major supermarket prices) to fund their other work. Whether that’s to fund their free food hampers to those even more in need than the regular foodbank shopper, to pay their rent of warehouses, or to go into their missionary coffers (yes it happens), if there’s such a shortage of food coming into Foodbank warehouses as donations or being purchased it shouldn’t be marked up. Selling it on at your cost when it’s an essential item should be expected. (I’ll pay a markup on my short-dated Lindt though, happy to help when I’m able).

I’ll come back to it again – people need enough money to survive. They need to be able to afford to buy the food and other essential items they need to survive. Welfare rates need to be above the poverty line. People need to be able to afford to buy groceries and afford healthcare. There’s a lot that candidates can take into the election this year, and I want to see more of them promising to do the easy thing to lift millions out of poverty – Raising the rate of all welfare payments above the poverty line. That will cut demand greatly for emergency hampers that charities hand out each week. That will enable people to be able to directly support their own families and friends in need.

There is a place for emergency help – but having large corporate charity machines is not lessening the need for it.

 

Xmas Shutdown – Much needed time off for Volunteers, but here’s how long til the Food Banks reopen

Second last morning for my regular food bank this morning. After Wednesday 11/12 they reopen on January 6. Knowing them, they’ll be delivering emergency hampers this whole time. Emergency hampers not funded by the government, but from funds they’re raised through the year from community members and local businesses.

They’re frantically prepping for their Xmas party Sunday. They have gifts for 2000 kids and hundreds of hampers. They’re even doing gift cards for teens, getting donations for them from local businesses.

palates of standard $25 foodbank hampers

Another local foodbank closes Wed 18th at lunchtime, reopens January 13. Another weekly one does their last $15 hampers on the 19th and then comes back Jan 16.

last year's foodbank christmas hamper

Obviously, all these volunteers well and truly deserve a break, and school holidays and Christmas means less people available to help out. A few more just generally close for school holidays (so not back until February). So then, people are left to their own devices, a time when schools are closed, work schedules are thrown out (sometimes way more work sometimes way less), Centrelink reporting is earlier and people either get paid earlier with the public holidays or they miss the early reporting date and have to stretch til the payment comes through.

We also all know the chaos of holiday grocery shopping, even on more generous budgets.

So, on this day where Youth Payment indexation has been advertised – up to $24.30 extra a fortnight from Jan 1 – and organisations are asking the government to raise the rate of welfare payments, let’s aim for better and ask for ALL payments to be raised above the poverty line – at last $88 a day if we go with the Henderson Poverty Line. People need money to survive, they can’t actually access safety nets like food banks all year around, give them the dignity of choosing and buying their own food – for Christmas and for every day.

Food banks are just a more expensive way to get food that isn’t necessarily suitable to poor people: Prove me wrong

A christmas hamper from a foodbank
2023’s Foodbank Christmas Hamper

TFIF, am I right? And that the pollies have headed home for the summer break after a chaotic final week, and maybe we’ll get some respite from their pontificating until that election is called/ Rumours around say it’ll be in March, others say it’ll drag on til the usual May.

To follow up on my last post “Just because it’s better than nothing, doesn’t make it “good”, we head back to the food banks as the summer heat and humidity really kick in, and summer shutdowns approach. The charities themselves are also in rush mode, soliciting donations how they can while getting out the Xmas hampers to those needing the support.

But let’s break down that process a little.

Foodbank™ charges the local charities and food pantries for the hampers and food items they get from them. It’s usually $25 for a prepacked hamper, whether Xmas or through the year, and (often extremely short dated) groceries are sold and the locals then generally on sell them a little above their cost, but sometimes for more. This can be to the point where it’s cheaper to buy items from regular supermarkets, at least on special.

St Vincent de Paul Inc This CHRISTMAS HELP PEOPLE LIKE TANIA GET BACK ON THEIR FEET

They rely on the labour of volunteers – at the warehouses it’s often corporate volunteers, there paid by their regular employer, often a big (?tax avoiding) business. As do the local charities, but they’re well meaning locals, church members or someone who used the service and isn’t doing as bad as others at the moment. This labour is “free” to the charities, and most people want to be there (though we do hear of work for the dole at foodbanks) but it’s still labour.

Survivor's R Us Incorporated · 💙 SRU HAMPERS OF HOPE 💙 Many people ask how they can help us help others... here is one very important way you can help! By donating $25, you will allow us to purchase an essentials food hamper from Foodbank for someone in need. The hampers feature over $70 worth of groceries that will help the recipient create several meals and snacks - breakfast cereal, soup, pasta, noodles, tinned goods, milk, coffee, tea bags, biscuits, etc. Contributing this way will help us help people in need EVERY DAY, in fact, several times each day. You can donate via the link to our website - with paypal, direct deposit into our account, or donate while you're here shopping with us: https://www.survivorsrusincorporated.com/donations Every little bit helps! We thank you in advance.
“The hampers feature over $70 worth of groceries that will help the recipient create several meals and snacks – breakfast cereal, soup, pasta, noodles, tinned goods, milk, coffee, tea bags, biscuits, etc.”

Emergency hampers are funded by what ever the local charities can get together. SRU asks directly for $25 from supporters to buy a hamper from Foodbank. Vinnies asks for $72 so they can purchase their own for their clients. Foodbank also asks for $35 donations for hampers, again is this on top of the $25 they charge the local charities, any donations made by corporations, through telethons and ones at the checkout. They and other food relief charities like Ozharvest regularly are mentioned by politicians as receiving a block of funding to rent a new warehouse, while not mentioning WHY people can’t afford to just purchase their own food.

Vinnies NSW · Follow rpesSotndo3c c1h5 n e 0520h96ut9gt0ifu0 J i u 8fm04f2 8 31magi3h655h6 · Did you know? A $72 donation helps provide urgent, immediate assistance to a vulnerable person in our community. A $72 donation is enough to cover the cost of a hamper filled with essential food for someone who is experiencing or is at risk of homelessness this winter. More donations are needed so more hampers can be provided to people who need them. Will you donate today? Click here to learn more https://donate.vinnies.org.au/appeals-nsw/winter-appeal-nsw

The food is standard fare – pasta and vegemite, weetbix and UHT milk and the like. The Christmas ones are similar but with tinned ham and pudding and custard. Not exactly allergy friendly for my many gluten or dairy intolerant folks. All these items are purchased outright it seems for the hampers, they’re well in date and consistent in brands, though it’s possible some of the companies make specific bulk donations. Unlike the stuff that comes from the Supermarkets – the close to date foods or experimental foods that haven’t sold and Colesworth can write them off as donations rather than copping the loss because they purchased incorrectly. Don’t worry, it’s not coming out of their profits.

Then we get to the fresh produce. I picked up some bread from my local food pantry Wednesday, and threw it out Thursday because it was moldy. This heat and humidity is terrible, but the bread was best before the 24th, so for it to turn by the 28th is not all surprising. It’s a pain, and fortunately I could afford replace it with a fresh loaf when I was out last night, but for others that means no bread til Monday or Wednesday when the foodbank is open again. Freezing it as soon as I got it home Wednesday would just have meant I’d be having bread that was not yet showing mold. Yum Yum.

And this is why I scream just give people enough money to feed themselves the food they want when they want it. Raise welfare above the poverty line so people can afford fresh bread that lasts more than a day before turning. So they can buy allergy-friendly foods. So they can choose the fruit and veges and snacks they are their kids actually like to eat. Channel all that extra government funding for warehouses and transporting old food around the country into welfare payments and programs that actually support people. Give them free childcare rather than free weetbix. Tax the supermarkets and the resources companies more so they can directly fund these thigns rather than them pretending to be the good guys by writing off excess food and donating cash and staff labour and getting to put their little logos on things.

Major reform is needed, but you can start by giving people enough money to live.

Middle fingers up til the reaper shows up

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Added later cos OMG:

Just because it’s better than nothing, doesn’t make it “good”

Oh hai there, just screaming into the void that the messaging coming out from yet another report detailing the material deprivation faced by people on all welfare payments.

ACOSS has just dropped their latest Poverty and Inequality report Material deprivation in Australia: the essentials of life. It doesn’t just report on how much money people have, but also what people are not getting because they can’t afford it – covered by the surveys I discussed in this post when I was doing the Poverty course through ACOSS and UNSW – the same people conducting this study and writing this report.

2. At least 10% of people do not have one or more of five out of 23 essential items. While some of the 23 essential items are almost universally owned (only 0.2% of people did not have warm clothes and bedding if it’s cold), a much higher proportion of people did not have the following five items: • home contents insurance (22% lacked this), getting together with friends or relatives at least once a month for a drink or meal (22%), a yearly dental checkup for each child (13%), new school clothes for school-age children every year (33%), or a hobby or a regular leisure activity for children (14%). The most common items people said they lacked because they couldn’t afford them are: home contents insurance (8%), at least $500 in savings for an emergency (7%), comprehensive motor vehicle insurance (5%) and dental treatment when needed (4%).

“The most common items people said they lacked because they couldn’t
afford them are: home contents insurance (8%), at least $500 in savings for
an emergency (7%), comprehensive motor vehicle insurance (5%) and dental treatment when needed (4%).”

Yeah, I have none of those things. If I needed dental treatment I’d try the NSW health clinic as that’s an option, or I’d ask family for money to help pay, or put it on ZipPay or get a Centrelink advance, but I don’t have the funds for such things as routine. I said to others doing that course that as much as they’d hope the person crashing into them in their shitbox at least had third party property insurance to cover their car’s damage, the reality is we often don’t, Greenslips for injury are compulsory but you’re making a huge assumption that we’ll be able to pay for your damage.

4. People on working-age income support payments face a much higher risk of multiple deprivation: • The rates of deprivation are close to or exceed 10% for 30% (seven items) of the 23 essential items for people on a JobSeeker Payment and for around 26% (six items) for people receiving a Parenting Payment or a Disability Support Pension. • People receiving JobSeeker Payment are five times more likely than all people (the population average rate) to lack two or more essential items (45% compared to 9% for the population). One in two are deprived of at least two items and one in three of at least three items. • People receiving Parenting Payment are four times more likely than all people to lack two or more essential items (38% compared to 9% for the population). Approximately one in four are deprived of three or more items. • People receiving Disability Support Pension or Youth Allowance are two to three times more likely than all people to lack two or more essential items (29% and 23% respectively). One in four people on these payments are deprived of at least two items. • People on a Carer Payment are two times more likely to lack two or more essentials items (17%) or three or more items (10%).But it’s the messaging around this report and others that always gets me. The report straight up says that DSP and Carer’s payments leave people struggling, and yet ACOSS et al come out asking for payments to be raise to that level – the $82/day for a single aged or disabled pensioner leaves them below the poverty line and skipping meals, health care and cheaping out on cooling in this heatwave while trying to stay in a likely substandard rental.

graph of bedroom temperate overnight
Reactivated my bedroom thermometer last night – you can pinpoint when my partner put the air con on in the living room and it trickled down the hall to our room

So aim higher. Ask for an amount that will make a difference. The Henderson Poverty Line is around $87 a day (it fluctuates, but if you need to put a number on it). This doesn’t take into account the extra costs of being disabled or chronically ill, but again it’s a start for adults to have enough money to meet their basic needs.

We have an election to be called any time now (it’ll be by May and that’ll be here before we know it) so get your ducks in a row and ask for good things, not incremental “improvements” that leave people in poverty. They haven’t given you your meagre asks anyway. Maybe Labor will be desperate enough to actually promise something progress, Miles style?

 

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