By Yvette Wakelin
Nearly one-quarter of Western Bay people are struggling to feed and clothe their families.
These are the findings of the 2006 Ministry of Social Development social report that shows 23 per cent of locals are surviving on next to nothing.
The report backs up experts who say every day they are inundated with calls for help from people struggling to make ends meet.
Of the tens of thousands interviewed for the report, it was found a total of 22,944 people in the Western Bay were deemed to be living in the low-income bracket - close to 3 per cent more than the national average.
The report determines those living on low income as the proportion of people living in households with a gross real income less than 60 per cent of the 2001 median figure - which shows people would be living on less than $20,820.
A total of 16,074 people in Tauranga City and a further 6870 in the Western Bay District Council catchment fall into this category - 23 per cent of the total population.
Previous figures show that in 1996 regional numbers were slightly higher at 23,463.
Work and Income budget adviser Keith Keene, who spends his days dealing with people in financial strife, said it was not good enough.
"The numbers of people in trouble are definitely increasing. We are giving out a lot more food parcels - too many people cannot afford to buy food."
In particular, Mr Keene said the last few months had proven to be very difficult for the elderly living in the area.
"We are noticing an increase in the number of superannuitants looking for help. The rise in petrol, food and power is making it harder for them."
It did not help that the cost of living was going through the roof while income remained the same, he said.
"The benefit has only gone up $6 a fortnight - that's $3 a week. It's not enough to cover the increased cost of everything we need to live."
The statistics showed that in both territories it was Maori, Pacific Islanders and Asians who were most at risk.
In Tauranga city, Maori accounted for 3489 people - or 36.5 per cent - of those living on limited means, while Pacific Islanders were a close second with 35 per cent.
In the wider Western Bay, Asians accounted for 43.5 per cent, followed by Pacific Islanders and Maori.
When it came to defining the statistics by age it was those in the youngest and oldest categories who appeared to be the most affected by poverty.
In Tauranga, nearly one-third of the those aged 65-plus were struggling to scrape together enough money to live from day to day and 31.4 per cent of 0-14 year olds were in the same boat.
Tauranga Budget Advice manager Marjorie Spicer said "it doesn't surprise me" that some people's wages or Government benefit wasn't sufficient to see them through.
"Some people are on a limited income and even then it just isn't enough. Someone on a single-person (aged 20-24 years) benefit only gets $198 in the hand a week - in some cases this will be topped up with the accommodation supplement."
Mrs Spicer still questioned how anyone could survive on such a small income and lead a normal life.
"In some cases 90 per cent of that amount could go on rent. These people are expected to pay for power, buy food and their clothes - and they are not cheap."
Because of this she said it was understandable why an increasing number of people were turning to agencies such as Budget Advice, for support.
"These people are in real need of help and they do because it's not possible to survive on nothing."Calls for assistance are also pouring in to Tauranga Salvation Army.
Business manager Allan Tiplady said staff at the Cameron Rd premises dealt with thousands of phone calls and casual visits from people every month.
"On a monthly basis we are getting about 2000 inquiries from people - some of these can be repeats."
While this number may appear high, Mr Tiplady said it reiterated the conclusions drawn in the social report that the gap between rich and poor was widening.
"The number of people asking for help does not really surprise me at all.
"The numbers have been reasonably consistent over the past 12 months."
But he believed it was about time something was done to decrease the number of people living in the low-income bracket.
"The issue is that we need to look at what is causing people to look for help and help them deal with what the problem is.
"We need to break the cycle and stop them relying on the help we provide," he said.
TOP STORY: Almost 30,000 Bay people in poverty
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