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TRANSCRIPT:
Jason Haines runs an emergency relief centre across the lake from Parliament House in Canberra.
And he has an urgent message for the politicians up on the hill.
"Come down and see charities like ours. Come down and see exactly what's happening. It's nice to be able to do policy and all that but what are you seeing out there to come to these policies. Sometimes the biggest thing is that people are doing it really tough. People are hurting."
In just the past year, his centre has experienced a 150 per cent increase in the number of Canberrans seeking help.
"We are getting everyone coming in the door. A lot of times it's people that are actually working in jobs . They work hard, they are teachers, they are nurses, they are students, coming here wanting support for food."
The daily battle with the rising cost-of-living has been highlighted in a new report by Anglicare Australia.
The welfare agency's executive director Kasy Chambers says it shows the needy are becoming worse off.
"Put simply, it costs to be poor. People on low incomes pay more for goods and services and they have fewer choices. The market actually works against them. And that's in every area we tested."
Anglicare says low income earners can end up paying up to one and a half times more than others for the same services.
Whether it be because of where they live, their inability to purchase in bulk or shop around, a lack of savings or their capacity to access the internet at home.
The Poverty Premium report found on average they spent ten percent more on fuel for less efficient cars and at least 20 per cent more on power and public transport.
Their credit and loan costs were 45 per cent higher
Insurance 61 per cent and groceries 93 per cent.
Ms Chambers says the standout was the amount spent on phone data.
"A whopping 142 per cent poverty premium for those households that pre-pay because they can't afford to get themselves onto one of those large plans."
She's called for the internet to be treated as an essential service.
"We need to look at telco regulations at the moment. Only Telstra is required to provide services and goods for people on low incomes. and what that means is that many people who are not on these plans are getting thrown off."
Basics for which Jason Haines sees a growing need everyday.
"Your rent, your petrol is going up, your food has gone up. The majority of times it's the parents who are going without things. We had a lady come in and we gave her shampoo and she started crying and she said 'you don't know the last time I did something as luxurious as washing my hair."
