Lifeline tracks a spike in calls for help relating to cost of living and money stress

The service reported Monday that calls for help relating to financial stress and homelessness increased by half in the six months between August last year and January inclusive, while Lifeline's face-to-face centres similarly reported a significant spike in calls for help with money and food distribution.

Lifeline's Hunter boss, Rob Sams, who also volunteers as a phone line crisis support worker said the cost of living was hitting NSW Hunter region residents hard.

Calls for help were up 25 per cent on numbers prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

The service's chief research officer, Dr Anna Brooks, said money-related stressors were linked to mental ill health and pointed to evidence suggesting people can experience distress and suicidal thoughts when facing financial uncertainty.

Lifeline's NSW South Coast manager Anne Marie Sharkey, said counsellors had seen a shift from members of the community who were typically more vulnerable - such as those receiving Centrelink support or experiencing homelessness - to more working families.

Mrs Sharkey said prescription medications were going up in price, and it was difficult to find a GP who bulk-billed.

These financial pressures were affecting people's overall wellbeing, she said counsellors were seeing a lot of clients not following up with specialists or delaying the purchase of medication, withdrawing their children from sports and hobbies, and seeking extra work to make ends meet.

"It's a problem, we're definitely in a crisis," Mrs Sharkey said.

She said people experiencing financial struggles also took a hit to their mental health.

The Suicide Prevention Australia Community Tracker puts the proportion of people experiencing elevated distress as a result of the cost of living at 46 per cent - up five percentage points since December - and almost three-quarters of Australians are more distressed now than in February 2022.

Another problem, Ms Sharkey said, was the prevalence of 'buy now, pay later' schemes; many clients owed money to multiple providers and struggled to repay them.

Last year, there was a 50 per cent increase in the number of people seeking financial counselling from Lifeline South Coast on the previous year.

"Because we've been so inundated, we've had to waitlist clients at this point in time," Mrs Sharkey said.

However, she said this did not mean people should feel discouraged from seeking help.

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She said they triaged clients to ensure those in more dire need were helped as soon as possible, and worked with other financial counselling services in the region to get people the assistance they sought.

Mrs Sharkey said people might feel ashamed at having to get help, but counsellors worked to make them feel comfortable.

They should also be applauded for seeking help, she said.

"It is possible to alleviate that burden," Mrs Sharkey said.

She said anyone who felt overwhelmed by their financial situation might find it helpful to map out their income and their expenses, and look at where adjustments could be made.

Mrs Sharkey said if that was unavailable, then they should seek an appointment with a financial counsellor.

"Anyone feeling like they're not able to get out of the cycle of debt would benefit from a financial counselling appointment," she said.

Lifeline has urged anyone who might be feeling overwhelmed, or who knows someone who is, to connect with the free service on 13 11 14 or online via lifeline.org.au.