New Roy Morgan Research being released by The Salvation Army shows 9.5 million Australians feel that taking action to reduce poverty should be a “very high priority” as The Salvation Army releases a new report on poverty.

The report - “Perceptions of Poverty” - shows 2 million Australians now live in poverty – 1 in 10 of us. The Salvos commissioned the report to have a closer look at the true impact poverty is having on people and their families. They highlight poverty is a complex phenomenon.

It highlights 70% of poor children in Australia live in jobless families.

12% of all children aged 0 to 17 live in ‘relative poverty’. The Salvos are calling on the Australian Government to develop a national child poverty strategy to help all children. Australia now has one of the highest levels of joblessness among families with children in an OECD country.

The Salvation Army says traditional stereotypes of people in poverty are simply inaccurate citing drastic increases in one particular group – “the working poor”. The Salvos say at least 80,000 Australians needed their help for the first time last year.

The report also reveals many single parent families are experiencing poverty with 57% saying they could not pay utility bills in the past 12 months and 12% went without meals.