THE community services sector is providing help to more people than ever, but there has been a huge increase in the number of eligible people turned away by overstretched agencies as difficult economic times bite.
There is Large increases in demand for homelessness and housing assistance, residential aged care services, financial support and emergency relief.
In 2009-10, the year covered by the report, 50,000 eligible people were turned away from housing services, a 22 per cent increase on the previous year.
''These findings highlight the disconnect between the perception that Australia has fully recovered from the global financial crisis and that most people are doing fine, with the stark reality that a growing group on the bottom simply are not doing well
The sector provided services on 6,180,282 occasions in 2009-10, up from 5,513,780 the previous year; but people were denied help on approximately 345,000 occasions, an annual increase of 19 per cent. That translates to one in 20 eligible people who sought support being turned away, as the surge in demand meant agencies had to target their services more tightly.
Of the 745 agencies surveyed in the annual report, 89 per cent identified mental health services as the most pressing unmet need, closely followed by homelessness and housing services.
There is Large increases in demand for homelessness and housing assistance, residential aged care services, financial support and emergency relief.
In 2009-10, the year covered by the report, 50,000 eligible people were turned away from housing services, a 22 per cent increase on the previous year.
''These findings highlight the disconnect between the perception that Australia has fully recovered from the global financial crisis and that most people are doing fine, with the stark reality that a growing group on the bottom simply are not doing well
The sector provided services on 6,180,282 occasions in 2009-10, up from 5,513,780 the previous year; but people were denied help on approximately 345,000 occasions, an annual increase of 19 per cent. That translates to one in 20 eligible people who sought support being turned away, as the surge in demand meant agencies had to target their services more tightly.
Of the 745 agencies surveyed in the annual report, 89 per cent identified mental health services as the most pressing unmet need, closely followed by homelessness and housing services.