More than three quarters of those seeking support from Foodbank are doing so for the first time and Lifeline has also seen an uptick in first-time callers, as higher interest rates and punishing rent hikes force professionals and mortgage holders to ask for help.

The average single borrower who purchased at capacity two years ago has seen their repayments climb $1674 a month, according to RateCity, while the median weekly rent has climbed from $526 in the May 2022 quarter to $601 in December 2023, CoreLogic data shows. In areas like Sydney, however, it reaches $745.