Social Assistance Payments and Food Insecurity InAustralia: Evidence from the HouseholdExpenditure Survey

Overview

Journal Int J Environ Res Public Health

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Environmental Health
Public Health

Date 2019 Feb 6

PMID 30720768

Citations 22

Authors

Jeromey B Temple

Sue Booth

Christina M Pollard

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

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.

Citing Articles

Social Vulnerability and Child Food Insecurity in Developed Countries: A Systematic Review.

Dana L, Dana L, Ramos-Garcia C, Kerr D, Fry J, Temple J Adv Nutr. 2025; 16(2):100365.

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Food Banks as a "Treasure Trove": Users' Experiences of a Western Australian Food Relief Organization.

Marshall N, Bendotti C, Charlesworth J, Mullan B, Maxwell-Smith C Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024; 21(8).

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A 5-year review of prevalence, temporal trends and characteristics of individuals experiencing moderate and severe food insecurity in 34 high income countries.

Gatton M, Gallegos D BMC Public Health. 2023; 23(1):2215.

PMID: 37946172 PMC: 10636923. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17139-9.

Harnessing community expertise in understanding food insecurity to inform responses in a local government area in Victoria, Australia: a mixed methods photovoice study.

Molenaar A, Bucello P, Kleve S BMC Public Health. 2023; 23(1):1996.

PMID: 37833654 PMC: 10571378. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16796-0.

Food Insecurity, Food Assistance, and Psychological Distress among University Students: Cross-Sectional Survey Western Australia, 2020.

Dana L, Wright J, Ward R, Dantas J, Dhaliwal S, Lawrence B Nutrients. 2023; 15(11).

PMID: 37299396 PMC: 10255323. DOI: 10.3390/nu15112431.

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