Bread and Board: When the basics break the budget

Strong economic growth has provided significant opportunities for Tasmanians during the past two years. Many people have been able to gain employment and improve their standard of living. However, there continue to be thousands of Tasmanians who experience significant disadvantage, living on very low incomes, and who struggle to make ends meet. This research surveyed 812 Tasmanians who were experiencing financial crisis. All of the survey respondents were people who accessed Emergency Relief and Financial Counselling agencies over a two week period in November 2003. The research considers how low incomes, ongoing expenses and personal circumstances interact to create financial crisis in the lives of Tasmanians. The report makes a range of recommendations for action at a State and Federal level