This graph compares financial stress indicators among people whose main income was social security and the overall population, before and shortly after the COVID recession. There were significant reductions in financial stress over this period.

Between September 2019 and December 2020:
* The proportion of people reporting the most severe financial stress (three or more indicators) fell from 23% to 18% among those on social security payments and from 13% to 11% among the overall population.
* The proportion with no stress indicators rose from 51% to 54% among those on social security payments and from 66% to 68% among the overall population.