SENATOR DEAN SMITH
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE SHADOW TREASURER
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE COST OF LIVING
LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA
9 March 2026
COMMUNITY SECTOR REPORT CONFIRMS COST-OF-LIVING PRESSURES HITTING FAMILIES
A major new report from the Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) has confirmed that cost-of-living pressures are driving a sharp rise in demand for community support services.
The QCOSS State of the Sector 2025 report found 81 percent of services experienced increased demand in the past year, while only 9 percent said they are always able to meet demand.
Housing pressures are a key driver.
The report notes some households are spending up to 49 percent of their income on rent, while more than 31,000 households remain on the social housing waiting list, with rental vacancy rates sitting around one per cent.
Community organisations report that more Australians who previously did not require assistance are now seeking help as the cost of essentials continues to rise.
At the same time, the report found 80 per cent of organisations say government funding does not cover the full cost of service delivery, placing increasing pressure on frontline services.
The workforce is also under strain, with 46 percent of staff reporting pressure due to understaffing and 44 percent reporting emotional exhaustion.
The findings highlight the growing pressures cost-of-living increases are placing on both households and the community sector.
Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith
“Frontline organisations are telling us demand is rising rapidly while their capacity to respond is stretched.”
“The QCOSS report shows only nine percent of services say they can always meet demand, while more than eighty per cent are seeing demand increase.”
“When eighty percent of organisations say funding does not cover the cost of delivering services, it is clear the sector is under enormous strain.”
“These figures show the cost of living crisis is not only affecting families – it is placing growing pressure on the organisations working every day to support them.”