The report investigates whether low-income households in Queensland can afford a basic standard of living, using five household models to illustrate how cost-of-living pressures vary based on their respective incomes and financial circumstances.

The report documents the financial stress and deprivation faced by vulnerable households in Queensland and finds that due to cost-of-living pressures, households are being forced to make detrimental trade-offs. 

Of the five kinds of low-income households featured in this report, only two were able to meet a basic standard of living. All five were unable to make meaningful savings and were highly vulnerable to increasing levels of debt. None have sufficient income to meet unplanned expenses if an emergency arose.

The report concludes that while government supports and concessions have made a tangible difference to household budgets in 2024, more targeted and sustained support is required to ensure that Queenslanders on low incomes do not live in poverty.

Key findings

• People are experiencing higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression due to financial stress, and are facing significant barriers to accessing psychological care.
• Housing costs were the highest expenditure, consuming more than 37 per cent of each household's income.
• People are forced to stay in unsafe and unsuitable housing because they cannot afford alternative accommodation.
• Transport costs are too high for families on low incomes, with rural and remote households especially affected.
• Households are neglecting their health needs due to out-of-pocket costs or enduring extreme financial hardship to cover essential medical expenses. 
• A greater number of Queenslanders are experiencing food insecurity and are compromising on the quality and quantity of their diets, with poor health outcomes identified as a public health hazard.