WELLINGTON Catholic social agencies workloads are soaring as the economy turns sour. Society of St Vincent de Paul centres have had a 40 per cent rise in requests for food, furniture, clothing and counselling in recent months, and referrals from other agencies have increased.
National executive director Anne-Marie McCarten said the demand will only increase as Christmas draws near and as the chill of recession bites even deeper.
She said that even some middle-income earners are struggling to make ends meet.
Many clients have come out of a winter in which they struggled with large electricity bills and high food costs and they certainly dont have cash reserves. Some will resort to loan sharks through ignorance and desperation.
Catholic Social Services in Wellington is finding an increase in demand for services, director Barbara Gilray said.
CSSs two social workers and a trainee worker had 102 face-to-face client appointments in September.
People are juggling maxed-out credit cards just to afford basic necessities, Ms Gilray said.
We are seeing a number of very distressed mothers coming to see us with literally no money for food and we distribute (generally one-off) food vouchers to them.
Market rentals, poor budgeting skills, overcrowding, gambling and having to support family overseas are contributory factors.
Despite recent tax cuts and more planned, prospects are gloomy.
The unemployment rate rose to 4.2 per cent in the September quarter and economists predict it will rise more as economic conditions worsen. Some say it will peak close to 6 per cent in 2010, meaning an extra 33,000 people out of work.
According to the Ministry of Social Development, about 280,000 Work and Income special needs grants for food were made in the year to May.
The Tauranga Community Foodbank, which lists St Vincent de Paul among its referral agencies, is giving out 60 per cent more food parcels than last year.
Chairman Don Brebner is appealing for help, as the demand is outstripping supplies.
