As a client-centric organisation, Good Shepherd consistently look to understand how the changing world is impacting the women, girls and families they serve. This knowledge helps to build programs and services that best position the organisation to meet the needs of clients where they are today and advocate for systems and policies that will support their empowerment tomorrow.

In 2020. Australia first saw the emergence of the 'newly vulnerable' - a group who found themselves in need of services for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Good Shepherd had hoped that a pandemic recovery in 2021 would see a decrease in the emergence of vulnerable individuals. However, anecdotal reports from their front-line workers led them to believe that may not be the case.

Good Shepherd commissioned Roy Morgan to help them better understand the 'newly vulnerable' and their experiences navigating support systems. The findings have confirmed what researchers had suspected. Rather than declining, the 'newly vulnerable' cohort increased in 2021 at a similar rate to what had been seen in 2020.

The estimate is that this group comprises about a quarter of all 14+ Australians, and over 40% of working Australians. They have seen negative employment impacts resulting from COVID-19, in turn affecting their household finances.

This report provides in-depth analysis of these people, and their experience of navigating support systems to address their needs arising from financial stress.