Australians on the lowest incomes are sweltering through summer at the expense of their health as air conditioning stretches budgets too far.
A new survey by the Australian Council of Social Service found two-thirds of people on income support could not afford to cool their homes, instead struggling through temperatures reaching 45C.
Of 208 people surveyed by the peak welfare advocacy group, 62 per cent said they struggled to keep their homes cool in summer.
