Struggling households hoping for cost of living relief

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Many households will want tonight's budget to deliver a reprieve to the rising cost of living. Whether you're a renter, paying off a mortgage, or keeping your car on the road, costs are on the rise.

Transcript

00:00 Households are under financial pressure.

00:06 On the Tasman Peninsula, Claire Bond's mortgage chews up more than half her income.

00:12 If the interest rates keep going up I probably will lose everything.

00:16 It's actually quite scary.

00:20 On a part-time wage and part pension, the 63-year-old is struggling with everyday expenses.

00:27 We skip meals and of course bread's the cheapest thing isn't it?

00:31 So you tend to eat a lot of that even though you shouldn't.

00:35 She's been hoping for more support for pensioners and welfare recipients.

00:39 The wealthy are getting wealthier and the poor are getting poorer and it needs to stop.

00:46 Casey Hyde is using her savings to pay her mortgage while she looks for a new work contract.

00:52 It's causing me psychological stress.

00:54 She says being blind means it takes longer to find job opportunities.

00:59 I'll have to talk to my bank about hardship and usually with hardship you'll get blackmarked.

01:06 She'd like to see more housing options for people with disabilities.

01:10 And most rental properties don't include wheelchair and guide dog support.

01:16 In Sydney, Alicia Evans lives with a range of physical and mental health issues.

01:21 I don't think that means I should have to live in poverty because I'm chronically ill.

01:25 Health care is Alicia's biggest expense after rent.

01:29 I'm having to absolutely prioritise survival over all else and it really feels like no

01:38 one cares.

01:40 She's been looking for more government intervention on health costs.

01:44 A big thing that would help is bringing more allied health into Medicare.

01:50 For many Australians, these are the toughest times they've ever experienced.

01:55 Real household disposable income has continued to fall, leaving many hoping this federal

02:00 budget will help shape a more financially comfortable future.

02:04 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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