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Trends in housing costs by income support payment

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This graph shows trends in average housing costs (adjusted for household size) for households reliant on income support payments, by payment, using $2015-16, compared with the median cost for all households. From 2006-08 to 2015-16, median housing costs for all households (after adjusting for inflation and household size) rose from $75 a week in 1999-00 to $115 a week in 2007-08, and then increased by 27% to $146 in 2015-16.

The largest housing cost increases from 2007-08 to 2015-16 were experienced by those relying on Parenting Payment (mainly sole parent families). Their average housing costs rose in real terms from $91 per week in 1999-00 to $115 in 2007-08, then increased again by 32% to $152 in 2015-16. Those relying mainly on Newstart Allowance also faced relatively high housing costs, which grew from $75 per week in 1999-00 to $106 in 2007-08, then rose by 28% to $136 in 2015-16. Housing costs for households relying on Disability Support Pension rose from $64 per week in 1999-00 to $83 per week in 2007-08, then increased by 28% to $103 per week in 2015-16. Housing costs for households relying on Carer Payment fell from $91 per week in 1999-00 to $87 per week in 2007-08, then increased by 29% to $136 per week in 2015-16.

The lowest average housing costs among income support households were for those relying on the Age Pension. This reflected their high rate of home ownership (74% in 2015). However, these households experienced the steepest increase in housing costs after 2007, when their average housing costs rose from by 45% from $38 per week to $55 per week in 2015-16.

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