Inability to cool homes in summer heat making almost 90% of Centrelink recipients ill, survey finds

Nearly 90% of people on income support payments say the inability to cool their homes in hot weather is making them sick, and even those who have air conditioning avoid using it because it is too expensive, a survey by Australian Council of Social Service has found.

Acoss polled 208 recipients of Centrelink payments in January about their experience of high heat at home, their ability to cool their homes, how the heat affected their physical and mental health, and the costs of their energy bills.

Some 89.4% said they sometimes or always felt unwell in the high heat, while 29.8% said they had needed to seek medical care for heat stress, with elderly people or those living with disability worst affected.

Nearly 70% of people surveyed had air conditioning of some form in their home, though many reported it did not function well or only lowered the temperature in one part of the house. Some 94.5% of people with air conditioning said they avoided using it because it cost too much.

Wagga Wagga residents Liz, 52, and Mike, 62, live with their two children and both receive Austudy while they retrain to help fill the teacher shortage. They told Guardian Australia they have tried all kinds of things to help keep their rental home cool, including blacking out the windows with cardboard and placing fans throughout, with limited success.

Mike, who manages numerous chronic health conditions including diabetes, atrial fibrillation and obstructive sleep apnea, has found his health significantly affected by the heat, but there is little he can do other than stay hydrated and sit in front of the evaporative cooler.

The family said 90% of their electricity bill was running the cooling system, as their cooking and hot water is still on gas. The last electricity bill they received was about $700 for the quarter. The maximum Austudy payment for a couple with children is $306.30 per week.

Liz said the government ought to put a cap on how much energy companies can charge, and help people in rental properties insulate their houses to a basic standard.

She called on the federal government to provide debt relief to struggling Australians and invest in energy efficiency for low-income housing in the May budget.