‘We Starve, It’s That Simple’: Australia’s Hidden Hunger Crisis

The Salvation Army has issued an urgent warning that Australia’s cost-of-living crisis has spiralled into an emergency for the nation’s most vulnerable, with a new report finding nearly one in five people surveyed had eaten from bins in the past twelve months.

The report, which surveyed 4,400 Australians seeking emergency relief support from the Salvos, found 91 per cent had skipped meals in the past year, with almost one third saying this happened daily. Three in five respondents said they had eaten expired or spoiled food, while 35 per cent said they survived on just one meal a day.

“It is deeply confronting to see so many people across our community pushed to such desperate levels of hardship, where parents are skipping meals, children are going to school hungry and people are eating spoiled food or even eating from bins simply to survive,” said Major Bruce Harmer from The Salvation Army.

The findings paint a bleak picture of daily life for many Australians struggling to cope. One community member who received support from the Salvos described their situation plainly: “We starve, it’s that simple. We drink water because it fills us up. We walk a bit to take our minds off this horrible life we are in, and we beg whoever we can for help.”

Children are bearing an increasing share of the burden, with 35 per cent of parents saying their children had gone to school hungry. Almost six in ten households with school-aged children said kids had missed school because families could not afford transport costs in the past year.

The crisis is playing out visibly in Wyndham. The signs of homelessness and financial hardship are becoming increasingly apparent across the area, from rough sleepers near Werribee train station to growing demand at local food banks and community services. Each Saturday morning, volunteers park a coffee van outside Werribee train station on Comben Drive, serving free coffee and donuts to anyone who needs it — including people experiencing homelessness. Wyndham TV has been covering this growing trend, including the work of local volunteers — read more in Brewing Hope In Werribee.

Homelessness services in Melbourne’s west are accessed through Unison, which covers Wyndham, and the Salvation Army Western Metro Homelessness Service. Demand on both is rising. Eighteen brand-new social housing homes were completed in Werribee’s Riverwalk Estate in early 2025 as part of efforts to ease pressure, but advocates say supply remains well short of need — as reported by Wyndham TV in New Social Housing Completed In Werribee. 

Energy poverty is also widespread across the report’s findings. Eighty-four per cent of respondents said they went to bed early to keep warm, 63 per cent were living in darkness and relying on candles and torches, and almost half said they used public places such as shopping centres or public bathrooms to avoid using electricity at home. Eighty-seven per cent said they had avoided using heating or cooling due to cost pressures over the past year.

Access to medical care is also increasingly out of reach. More than half of respondents said they could not afford to see a doctor, dentist or optometrist, 46 per cent could not afford prescription medication, and one quarter said they were relying on hospital emergency departments in place of a GP.

One mother who received support described the daily juggling act her family faces: “We never have enough food. We buy what is cheap and rely on help and food banks. I am very careful about our electricity use. My oldest son has been making do this year with only one school shirt. We put water in dish soap, shampoo, cleaning products, and other items to stretch them. We rarely buy milk, but when we do, we add water to make it last longer. We don’t spend money on clothing. We often fill prescriptions late or don’t take them daily to stretch them out further.”

Major Harmer said the need for support is growing and the organisation cannot meet demand alone.

“No one in Australia should be forced to choose between heating their home, feeding their children or buying medication, yet this is the reality facing more and more people every single day,” he said.

“Our report surveyed thousands of people who reached out to the Salvos for emergency relief support, with 90 per cent saying they would not have managed financially without the help they received. But the need is growing rapidly and we cannot do this alone. Right now, your support can help provide food, financial assistance, safe shelter and hope to Australians doing it incredibly tough.”

The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal is aiming to raise $41 million to support people doing it tough. Across Australia last year, through its network of over 400 centres and 2,000 services, the Salvos provided assistance to one person every 17 seconds, more than 1.74 million sessions of care, over one million nights of safe accommodation and more than 1.4 million meals to people accessing homelessness services.

Wyndham residents experiencing homelessness or financial hardship can contact Unison on 9216 0300, or visit their office at 70 Cottrell Street, Werribee, Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm. After hours, call 1800 825 955. Australians wishing to donate to the Red Shield Appeal can visit salvationarmy.org.au.