WHAT SACOSS SAYS ABOUT INCOME
Income, or the lack of it, is a main cause of poverty and lack of wellbeing. One in four families in South Australia has an income of less than $500 per week and we have the highest rate of families who report Centrelink benefits as being their main source of income. Three quarters of older people rely on government pensions and benefits as their main source of income.
Particularly disadvantaged groups include lone parents, children from low income families, people with disabilities, Aboriginal people, elderly people as well as people living in certain localities. The highest proportion of low income South Australian families live in the most disadvantaged rural and regional areas.
Addressing this disadvantage requires the removal of barriers that prevent members of these groups gaining an education, getting and keeping a job, and accessing the supports and services that would make their lives better.
SNAPSHOTS
A group of 5 women in the regional town of Port Pirie were each given a disposable camera to photograph aspects of their lives that have been affected by low income - the images they have taken and the stories they tell reflect the wide variety of challenges they have faced - from abuse to addiction to home decorating on a budget. In this series of 5 photo essays these women allow the viewer a snapshot of their experiences and their vision of a "New Beginning".
