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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Luke Henriques-Gomes Social affairs and inequality editor

‘Demoralising’: life on sub-poverty jobseeker payment laid bare in new report

Michelle Jackson in the yard of her home in Newtown, Tasmania
Michelle Jackson lives in social housing in Hobart and is struggling to meet the rising cost of living. Photograph: Matthew Newton/The Guardian

Some weeks Michelle Jackson, 59, lives on toast. Other times she will be in the shower and will start to worry after noticing there is no more soap or shampoo.

“You can’t afford them all at once,” Jackson said. “Oh, God. It’s horrible. Or a light blows. Sometimes I could have four light globes out. And you’re swapping them from room to room.”

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