Surge in demand for help with back-to-school costs

Jan 01, 12, WELFARE groups are expecting record demand for help this month as families struggle with basic back-to-school costs, including school uniforms and shoes. The charities cite rising living, and particularly utility, expenses and the increasing cost of school clothing and equipment as the key reasons for the surge in demand. David Schmidt, chief executive of State Schools' Relief, a charity that assists families with school clothes, told The Sunday Age there was a 26 per cent increase in requests for assistance last financial year, and he expected that trend to continue.

''We have already received record applications for the start of the school year,'' Mr Schmidt said. Requests for help from State Schools' Relief are made through school principals, and last financial year the fund assisted more than 10,600 Victorian students. All uniforms and shoes are new, and Mr Schmidt said that increased demand would mean that the fund may have to increase the co-payment that in some cases is required from parents. For example, if a school jumper costs $80, the fund might contribute $50 towards it, leaving $30 for the parents to pay.

Power price leap

Dec 23, 2011 ELECTRICITY and gas prices will jump by at least double the rate of inflation on January 1, and the state government has advised consumers hit with a dramatic rise in their bills to consider moving to a new retailer.  An average power bill for most Victorians will rise between 5.7 and 8.7 per cent, an analysis by the St Vincent de Paul Society shows.

AGL and TRUenergy prices for an average home's gas and electricity bill will rise 8.7 per cent, and Origin bills will be 5.7 per cent higher. By comparison, inflation is running at about 3.6 per cent.  The three retailers service about 70 per cent of the state.

In most cases, the price rise will be unavoidable because retailers are increasing fixed supply charges - meaning even if little energy is used consumers will still be charged a daily rate.  St Vincent de Paul's manager of research, Gavin Dufty, said there were ways of avoiding elements of the price increases, which were passed into law by the Baillieu government early this month.

Households struggling to pay bills

Oct 24 2011,  MORE than 10 per cent of Australian households - or 850,000 - spend so much on rent or mortgage payments they have little left over to cover other bills, a study shows. In particular, many households that rent are struggling, with one in four considered to be in ''housing stress''.  The study, by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling at the University of Canberra, was commissioned by the group Australians for Affordable Housing. It kicks off a campaign today to encourage all levels of government to tackle the housing crisis.

The group's campaign manager, Sarah Toohey, said people were struggling to build a life after they had paid their housing costs. ''People feel the impact of food and utility price increases so keenly because housing costs take up so much of their income,'' she said.  The study, Housing Costs Through the Roof, focuses on households with the lowest 40 per cent of incomes, taking family size into account, who spend 30 per cent or more of income on rent or mortgage payments. This is a recognised measure of housing stress.

It found almost 300,000 renters and home buyers in New South Wales were in ''housing stress'', at risk of falling into poverty once they had paid for a roof over their heads.

Tragic car accident

  Following the terrible tragedy which has befallen a family in our community there has been an outpouring of grief. Rhonda Sharp o”bm, a 39 year old mother of 3 children aged between 2 and 6, tragically passed away on her birthday last Sunday. With the family’s consent, a trust has been established to assist the family through the exceptionally difficult journey ahead and members of the community are kindly asked to contribute according to their means.

The Sharp Family trust has been set up under the auspices of the Melbourne Jewish Charity Fund. All donations are tax deductible.