Like so many charities, Vinnies is seeing record demand for support in Tasmania. They’ve just launched their 2026 Winter Appeal, and warned that more people than ever are cutting back on basics to afford to keep a roof over their heads. A recent national survey commissioned by St Vincent de Paul found that 55 per cent of Australians have reduced their spending on essentials like medication, groceries and bills to pay for their hous­ing. Nearly three in 10 don’t have enough savings to cover an emergency expense and 3.7 million ‘strongly disagree’ that they could handle an unexpected cost right now. One in five Australians had less than $100 in savings.

St Vincent de Paul national president Mark Gaetani, who is based in Laun­ceston, said many people were entering winter with little to fall back on. “Winter is one of the toughest times of year for those households the Society supports, but these figures show financial insecurity is now hitting many Tasmanians harder than ever,” he said. “For households with little or no savings buffer, donations to the Vinnies Winter Appeal can help them to stay housed and to feel safe.” If you have the capacity to donate to the Winter Appeal, head into a Vinnies shop, go to www.vinnies.org.au or call 13 18 12.