Social Assistance Payments and Food Insecurity in Australia: Evidence from the Household Expenditure Survey

Abstract

It is widely understood that households with low economic resources and poor labourmarket attachment are at considerable risk of food insecurity in Australia. However, little is knownabout variations in food insecurity by receipt of specific classes of social assistance payments thatare made through the social security system. Using newly released data from the 2016 HouseholdExpenditure Survey, this paper reports on variations in food insecurity prevalence across a range ofpayment types. We further investigated measures of financial wellbeing reported by food-insecurehouseholds in receipt of social assistance payments. Results showed that individuals in receiptof Newstart allowance (11%), Austudy/Abstudy (14%), the Disability Support Pension (12%),the Carer Payment (11%) and the Parenting Payment (9%) were at significantly higher risk of foodinsecurity compared to those in receipt of the Age Pension (<1%) or no payment at all (1.3%). Resultsfurther indicated that food-insecure households in receipt of social assistance payments enduredsignificant financial stress, with a large proportion co-currently experiencing “fuel” or “energy”poverty. Our results support calls by a range of Australian non-government organisations, politicians,and academics for a comprehensive review of the Australian social security system

The important role of charity in the welfare system for those who are food insecure

“…These households employ an array of strategies to feed themselves and their families, with many calling on family and friends for assistance, skipping meals, or bulking out meals with simple carbohydrates, as well as increasingly accessing a range of food aid charities for all or most of their weekly groceries 6 . This is consistent with recent research showing that food insecurity is more prevalent in households where members receive a payment type with a low financial value, such as the Newstart or Parenting Payment as their main source of income 14 …”

Migration, Stress and the Challenges of Accessing Food: An Exploratory Study of the Experience of Recent Afghan Women Refugees in Adelaide, Australia

“…In spite of receiving some government welfare payment, a small number of Afghani women experienced financial pressures and concomitant food stress that had some similarities to their experiences in the transition country. In this respect, the experience of refugees is not dissimilar to other households reliant on welfare, who are known to experience food stress [52] and are more likely to experience food insecurity [54].…”

Big Data and Energy Poverty Alleviation

“…For instance, there is a linkage between economic development and energy poverty [2,4]. In the developed countries, social support programs would prevent energy poverty and its consequences [24,25], although it would not solve the problem [26]. On the other hand, in less developed regions, such programs are not well funded and, due to socioeconomic situations, housing poverty is usually greater.…”

“…Energy poverty affects an individual's health and well-being. In developed countries such as the U.S., the UK and Australia, households with high levels of energy poverty usually are forced to reduce their food expenditures while cutting other basic needs as well as heating/cooling energy demand [24,25]. Reducing expenditures for basic needs potentially would cause the physical/mental illness [31].…”