By Eleanor Wilson
The domino effect of the soaring cost of living continues to plague Casey residents, with local support services the latest to feel the pinch.
Executive officer at Community Information and Support Cranbourne (CISC), Leanne Petrides, said the organisation is operating at a deficit to keep up with demand for their services, which includes financial counselling and crisis support.
The not-for-profit is currently spending more than double its daily budget on crisis support, which provides struggling community members with food, fuel vouchers, baby goods and chemist prescriptions.
“We’re constantly looking at ways we can minimise costs and tighten our belts, but we have to balance that with supporting our vulnerable community members,” she said.
“The only way to do that is by operating at a deficit and we can probably do that this financial year as we have had some extra funding come through.
“But it’s going to be very difficult moving forward.”
Stretched by a combination of the highest inflation in 30 years and a 10th consecutive interest rate hike, Ms Petrides estimates demand for the emergency relief service has increased by over 30 per cent in the last year, and with it, the scope of clients accessing the crisis support service is also broadening.
“We all know that cost of living increases are squeezing household budgets and what we’re actually seeing now is not only an increase in the number of people accessing our services… but we’re also seeing an increase in the number of people who are either new to the service or have never accessed services before.
“We’re also seeing more people on wages, people who are working, and their wages are not making ends meet so they’re having to access support services to try to fill these gaps.
“Most people who access our financial counselling services are also wage earners – some are juggling multiple debts just to try to keep afloat.”
The rise of buy now, pay later schemes, which allow customers to pay for items in multiple installments, is also proving to be a catch-22 for families finding it tough.
“We’re seeing more and more people who are juggling multiple buy now pay later schemes and even doing things like purchasing vouchers from the supermarket on Afterpay and then utilising them for food just to try to keep afloat, but unfortunately they are slowly, slowly sinking.”
The organisation, which services residents in Cranbourne, Hampton Park, Clyde, Lynbrook and Tooradin, is at a critical juncture, Ms Petrides said, ahead of the Federal Budget in May.
She said CISC will desperately need more emergency relief funding to keep up with demand in the next financial year.
“I can’t see [the issue] improving in the near future. I’ve been in this role for 24 years and this is certainly one of the most challenging times I’ve witnessed in terms of demand and juggling of multiple issues.
“The increasing complexity of issues that people are coming in with, and Covid exasperated that, with mental health, employment instability and family violence issues; if we’re looking at cost of living pressures, I predict it’s probably going to get worse for a couple of years.”
