What is this project about?
SACOSS wants to learn about the health, and health needs, of South Australians experiencing waged poverty.
Waged poverty is a term used to describe people earning low wages that are not enough to meet basic living expenses. In South Australia, nearly one out of four households experiencing poverty rely on wages as their main source of income, rather than government benefits such as JobSeeker or the pension.
Previous SACOSS research has found that people experiencing waged poverty have more difficulties paying for essential services such as electricity and internet. They are much less likely to seek support than other people experiencing poverty.
Research from around the world has shown that people experiencing waged poverty have poorer health, but we don’t think there has been any Australian research on the health of people experiencing waged poverty.
Our project will look at South Australians experiencing waged poverty, and what could be done to help.
What does participation in this research involve?
We are interested to talk to people about what life is like for someone who is working but struggling to get by on low wages. We want to talk about how you manage your budget and how that affects your health and use of health services like going to the doctor or visiting the hospital. We are also interested in the things you might do to look after your health.
You are invited to participate in an interview to discuss these issues. The interview will take between 30 and 60 minutes. You can choose whether the interview is in person, at a place that is convenient for you, or by phone or online.
There are no costs associated with participating in this research project, but we will provide a $50 gift voucher in recognition of the time you have contributed. We will also reimburse you for any reasonable travel, parking, meals and other expenses associated with the participating in the interview, up to a maximum of $25.
Please register your interest in taking part by filling out this short Google Form.
Who is eligible to participate?
We want to talk to people who:
- get their main source of income from wages (i.e. working) not from social security payments
- live in South Australia
- are over 18
- are finding it difficult to pay all their bills and make ends meet
SACOSS generally regards households with income below the following thresholds as “low income households'*.
|
Weekly Income |
Gross Weekly Income |
|
| Single Person Household | $850 | $1,025 |
| Single Parent - 1 child | $1,105 | $1,405 |
| Single Parent - 2 children | $1,360 | $1,800 |
| Single Parent - 3 children | $1,615 | $2,185 |
| Two Adults (no kids) | $1,275 | $1,670 |
| Two Adults - 1 child | $1,530 | $2,055 |
| Two Adults - 2 children | $1,785 | $2,460 |
| Two Adults - 3 children | $2,040 | $2,875 |
| Three Adults (no kids) | $1,700 | $2,320 |
*Technical note: This threshold represents the gross household income at the 40th income percentile, so households below this mark are in the lowest two income brackets (quintiles), when adjusted for household size. The base data is drawn from the ABS 2019-20 Household Income and Wealth survey, updated to September 2023 using the Wage Price Index. Adjustments are done for household size based on modified OECD equivalization scale (I unit for first adult, 0.5 for each adult after that, and 0.3 for each child). Gross income calculations are based on 1 tax-payer per household.
If you think you might be interested in being interviewed for this project please click the EXPRESSION OF INTEREST link below to provide your contact details and a member of the research team will contact you to confirm that you are eligible and organise the next steps. If you are eligible we will provide you with a copy of the Patient Information Sheet and give you time to ask us any questions before we schedule your interview.
REGISTER YOUR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST HERE