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

• Main Authors: Jeromey B. Temple, Sue Booth, Christina M. Pollard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-02-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: food insecurity; access to food; social assistance payments; social security; Newstart allowance
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/3/455

<span>It is widely understood that households with low economic resources and poor labour<br />market attachment are at considerable risk of food insecurity in Australia. However, little is known<br />about variations in food insecurity by receipt of specific classes of social assistance payments that<br />are made through the social security system. Using newly released data from the 2016 Household<br />Expenditure Survey, this paper reports on variations in food insecurity prevalence across a range of<br />payment types. We further investigated measures of financial wellbeing reported by food-insecure<br />households in receipt of social assistance payments. Results showed that individuals in receipt<br />of Newstart allowance (11%), Austudy/Abstudy (14%), the Disability Support Pension (12%),<br />the Carer Payment (11%) and the Parenting Payment (9%) were at significantly higher risk of food<br />insecurity compared to those in receipt of the Age Pension (&lt;1%) or no payment at all (1.3%). Results<br />further indicated that food-insecure households in receipt of social assistance payments endured<br />significant financial stress, with a large proportion co-currently experiencing &#8220;fuel&#8222; or &#8220;energy&#8222;<br />poverty. Our results support calls by a range of Australian non-government organisations, politicians,<br />and academics for a comprehensive review of the Australian social security system</span> <br />