A mature-age student has opened up on his day-to-day “juggling” act trying to survive the cost of living crisis,
Adding his voice to appeals for income support payments to be lifted “to a liveable level”.
A new study has revealed the desperate moves Australians are making to get by, including skipping meals and going to bed early to save money.
He enrolled in university at the start of 2022 and is fulfilling a lifelong dream of studying paleontology and archaeology.
He is confident both will offer him opportunities to be a contributing member of Australia’s workforce once again, but fears how he will even finish his degree, considering cost of living pressures have left him in a “downward spiral”.
The Adelaide native receives $841 per fortnight as a participant of the government’s Austudy education assistance scheme, but $620 of that is drained by rent in the same two-week period and he has to stretch every last dollar to fuel his car, buy groceries, and keep the lights on.
