Survey finds 90% of Centrelink recipients found to be doing it tough in summer heat - when did health become a luxury?
- Replies 11
We all know summers get hot in Australia, and for most Aussies that also means spending a couple of dollars more just to try and keep cool by having fans and air conditioning units on at full blast.
For 90 per cent of respondents on Centrelink payments in a recent survey, however, the heat was so bad it made them ill.
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) polled 208 recipients of Centrelink payments in January to find out how they were faring amid the heat, including the costs of their energy bills and how the high temperatures impacted their physical and mental health.
They found that 72.1 per cent of those surveyed, who rented, reported being unable to cool their homes down in periods of hot weather.
About 70 per cent had some form of ventilation available in their homes, but also said that it wasn’t sufficient.
A whopping 94.5 per cent of those who had air conditioning reported not using the devices to avoid high electricity bills.
But perhaps more concerningly, 29.8 per cent admitted they needed medical treatment for heat-related conditions, particularly among the elderly and those with disabilities.
Eighty-nine per cent of the respondents also said they sometimes, at the very least, felt unwell in summer temperatures.
Liz and Mike, aged 52 and 62, respectively, who live in NSW, are at a loss how they should cope with the heat.
The two are Austudy recipients living with their two kids, and are retraining to help with a shortage of teachers in Wagga Wagga.
But while they help address one problem, so are they confronted with another in the form of insulating their home against high temperatures.
‘There’s bugger all insulation in the roof,’ Liz said. ‘Once it gets a bit over 30 degrees it’s just really hot, and there’s nothing you can do about it.’
‘The cost of energy just adds to an already stressful situation… We just have to exist through the heat. We can’t go anywhere because we can’t afford to pay for anything like going to the cinema.’
‘I just sit in front of a fan spraying myself with water to cool down. Sleeping is extremely difficult.
Mike, who suffers from diabetes, says at times the heat takes its toll on his health. All he could do is drink lots of water and hope their evaporative cooler did its job.
‘My husband has been to hospital a couple of times because he is dehydrated. He takes hydralite, but that is expensive so he limits it,’ Liz shared.
According to the pair, about 90 per cent of their electricity bills is from running their cooling system (hot water and cooking are on gas).
To put things in perspective, the couple pointed out that their last quarterly bill cost $700, while their Austudy benefits amounted to $306.30 weekly.
‘We’re basically living in poverty until we get our degrees, and Jobseeker is pathetic,’ Liz stressed. ‘You can’t study in the heat. And it impacts our kids, too.’
‘I was really hopeful that the Labor party would get in and do something to help people, increase welfare payments, but I don’t know if they’re going to. But it’s really essential.’
Across the country in Perth, Clare, a Disability Support Pension beneficiary, also has a hard time with the summer heat.
‘I have recorded indoor temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius. It is usually 10 degrees hotter inside than outside in the evenings, and opening up the windows and doors is pointless unless there’s a good breeze,’ she said.
‘I have to cool my home despite how expensive it is because of my health problems. I have fibromyalgia, chronic migraine, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.’
‘All of these are exponentially exacerbated by heat. The hotter it is, the worse my fatigue and weakness, the more frequent and persistent the migraine, and I am more likely to have heart rate spikes with blood pressure drops that can result in losing consciousness.’
ACOSS’ poll brought attention to the need for both federal and state governments to improve on optimising housing to be more energy-efficient and introducing standards.
In addition, the group stressed that there should be financial relief for people struggling to manage energy-related debt among items in the upcoming federal budget deliberations in May.
‘This survey shows how people on the lowest incomes are being impacted first, worst, and longest by hot weather. The level and duration are being made worse by climate change,’ Cassandra Goldie, Chief Executive of ACOSS said.
‘Too many people are living in housing that is poorly insulated and far too hot in summer.’
‘Soaring energy bills and woefully inadequate income support levels mean they cannot afford to keep themselves cool – and this is having a serious impact on their physical and mental health.’
And as summer slowly gives way to autumn, another challenge is just around the corner for homes with poor insulation: winter.
Hopefully, action on this problem will be addressed sooner rather than later, considering that lives are on the line.
So, what are your thoughts on this? Have you had similar difficulties at home dealing with the heat?
What reforms do you think the government can introduce regarding improving insulation for housing, considering winter is just around the corner?
Tell us in the comments section below!
For 90 per cent of respondents on Centrelink payments in a recent survey, however, the heat was so bad it made them ill.
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) polled 208 recipients of Centrelink payments in January to find out how they were faring amid the heat, including the costs of their energy bills and how the high temperatures impacted their physical and mental health.
They found that 72.1 per cent of those surveyed, who rented, reported being unable to cool their homes down in periods of hot weather.
About 70 per cent had some form of ventilation available in their homes, but also said that it wasn’t sufficient.
A whopping 94.5 per cent of those who had air conditioning reported not using the devices to avoid high electricity bills.
But perhaps more concerningly, 29.8 per cent admitted they needed medical treatment for heat-related conditions, particularly among the elderly and those with disabilities.
Eighty-nine per cent of the respondents also said they sometimes, at the very least, felt unwell in summer temperatures.
Summer evokes visions of sunny days and picturesque beaches, but for some Aussies, it means struggling to keep cool at home. Image Credit: Unsplash
Liz and Mike, aged 52 and 62, respectively, who live in NSW, are at a loss how they should cope with the heat.
The two are Austudy recipients living with their two kids, and are retraining to help with a shortage of teachers in Wagga Wagga.
But while they help address one problem, so are they confronted with another in the form of insulating their home against high temperatures.
‘There’s bugger all insulation in the roof,’ Liz said. ‘Once it gets a bit over 30 degrees it’s just really hot, and there’s nothing you can do about it.’
‘The cost of energy just adds to an already stressful situation… We just have to exist through the heat. We can’t go anywhere because we can’t afford to pay for anything like going to the cinema.’
‘I just sit in front of a fan spraying myself with water to cool down. Sleeping is extremely difficult.
Mike, who suffers from diabetes, says at times the heat takes its toll on his health. All he could do is drink lots of water and hope their evaporative cooler did its job.
‘My husband has been to hospital a couple of times because he is dehydrated. He takes hydralite, but that is expensive so he limits it,’ Liz shared.
According to the pair, about 90 per cent of their electricity bills is from running their cooling system (hot water and cooking are on gas).
To put things in perspective, the couple pointed out that their last quarterly bill cost $700, while their Austudy benefits amounted to $306.30 weekly.
‘We’re basically living in poverty until we get our degrees, and Jobseeker is pathetic,’ Liz stressed. ‘You can’t study in the heat. And it impacts our kids, too.’
‘I was really hopeful that the Labor party would get in and do something to help people, increase welfare payments, but I don’t know if they’re going to. But it’s really essential.’
Almost all respondents in ACOSS’ recent poll who had air conditioning at home said they avoided using it too much over cost concerns. Image Credit: Unsplash
Across the country in Perth, Clare, a Disability Support Pension beneficiary, also has a hard time with the summer heat.
‘I have recorded indoor temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius. It is usually 10 degrees hotter inside than outside in the evenings, and opening up the windows and doors is pointless unless there’s a good breeze,’ she said.
‘I have to cool my home despite how expensive it is because of my health problems. I have fibromyalgia, chronic migraine, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.’
‘All of these are exponentially exacerbated by heat. The hotter it is, the worse my fatigue and weakness, the more frequent and persistent the migraine, and I am more likely to have heart rate spikes with blood pressure drops that can result in losing consciousness.’
ACOSS’ poll brought attention to the need for both federal and state governments to improve on optimising housing to be more energy-efficient and introducing standards.
In addition, the group stressed that there should be financial relief for people struggling to manage energy-related debt among items in the upcoming federal budget deliberations in May.
‘This survey shows how people on the lowest incomes are being impacted first, worst, and longest by hot weather. The level and duration are being made worse by climate change,’ Cassandra Goldie, Chief Executive of ACOSS said.
‘Too many people are living in housing that is poorly insulated and far too hot in summer.’
‘Soaring energy bills and woefully inadequate income support levels mean they cannot afford to keep themselves cool – and this is having a serious impact on their physical and mental health.’
And as summer slowly gives way to autumn, another challenge is just around the corner for homes with poor insulation: winter.
So, what are your thoughts on this? Have you had similar difficulties at home dealing with the heat?
What reforms do you think the government can introduce regarding improving insulation for housing, considering winter is just around the corner?
Tell us in the comments section below!
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