A growing number of West Australians are turning to emergency relief from charities for the first time, with Vinnies WA reporting a massive spike in working people seeking support.
Record demand for emergency relief
Vinnies WA CEO Ann Curran says everyday West Australians are now being pushed to breaking point as pleas to the charity for emergency relief reach record levels. The charity said calls for emergency relief to its services rose 18 per cent between January and April compared with the same period last year.
But the most alarming trend was the number of employed people now turning to its services, with a 25 per cent increase over the past year and 14 per cent accessing help for the first time.
Hardship no longer confined to the disadvantaged
Ms Curran said the figures showed hardship was no longer confined to people experiencing entrenched disadvantage.
“We are hearing from more people who never would have imagined they would need to ask for help; from working families, single parents, people juggling rent, bills and groceries, and many who are simply one pay slip away from crisis,” she said.
“These are not simply numbers; they are people in our community, often our friends and neighbours, who are trying desperately to hold everything together.”
Food tops the list of needs
Food was the most in-demand form of emergency relief, making up 65 per cent of all support provided, ahead of clothing and living essentials on 11 per cent, petrol on 5 per cent and bill assistance on 4 per cent.
Across Vinnies emergency relief services, the Joondalup Support Centre ranked fifth for demand, with 1,387 calls for support between July 2025 and March 2026. In total, Vinnies WA recorded 38,711 emergency relief calls during this period.
Among those supported, 70 per cent were women, one in three were aged between 40 and 50, and one in three were single parents with children.
Northern suburbs feeling the pressure
Vinnies northern centre president Allan Rose, who has worked at the Vinnies Joondalup Support Centre since it was established in 2021, said rising cost-of-living pressures were leaving an increasing number of families unable to afford essentials such as food, clothing and fuel.
“We have certainly seen a high demand for food, clothing and living essentials, but with the price of fuel we have also had more people request fuel vouchers,” Mr Rose said.
“But on top of that, people are also struggling to pay their rent and bills.
“Recent increases in the price of oil and rising interest rates have also had a huge flow-on effect for a lot of local households, which are feeling the pressure.”
Mr Rose said that while Vinnies played an incredibly important role in supporting those in need, more needed to be done at a government level, particularly for people experiencing homelessness.
“We have seen a huge demand from a growing number of people experiencing homelessness in the northern suburbs, and much more needs to be done by government to provide affordable and transitional housing to meet this growing need,” he said.
Winter Appeal launched
Ms Curran is imploring West Australians to donate to the charity’s Winter Appeal, with the coldest time of the year placing extra pressure on struggling households.
“Heading into winter, many people are forced to make difficult decisions, and often this means choosing between heating their homes, putting food on the table or paying their rent,” she said.
“The Vinnies Winter Appeal helps ensure we can continue providing practical support including food assistance, help with bills, clothing and fuel, as well as funding our vital homelessness services to people who need it most.”
To donate to the Vinnies Winter Appeal or for urgent support, visit vinnies.org.au/wa.
