Emergency assistance applicants survey, New South Wales, September 1983

The Social Welfare Programme provides emergency cash assistance, clothing , blankets, travel warrants, half- fare transport concessions, spectacles and rent relief to persons in necessitous circumstances. This survey was conducted to aid in identifying the underlying causes of the increased demand for emergency relief placed upon the Youth and Community Services Department. As such it is the first comprehensive state-wide survey of applicants for Social Welfare assistance. In this survey questions were asked about the respondent's main source of income, the number of income earners in the household, reasons if no income, amount of gross fortnightly income, type of housing, housing costs, use of Social Welfare, type of assistance gained, amount of assistance received and main purpose of cash assistance. Background data included location (postcode), sex, age group, family status, number of dependent children, number of children 5 years old or less, and country of birth.