Data is showing what most of us already realise – that battlers in the bush are doing it tough over cost-of-living pressures.

Just under half (about 45 per cent) of Central West low-income households went without prescribed medication or healthcare due to cost-of-living pressures, according to a new report by peak social services body, the NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS).

The report, “Impossible Choices: Decisions NSW”, was undertaken by the University of Technology Sydney and involved surveying a representative sample of more than 1080 residents living on low incomes and below the poverty line in NSW.

The research revealed that, across the Central West, about 72 per cent of low-income families had no money set aside for emergencies, while about 50 per cent are in housing stress, meaning that they spend more than 30 per cent of their income on accommodation.

It also found that 42 per cent could not afford to travel for essential reasons such as for work or to attend to their education needs, NCOSS CEO Cara Varian said.

“Central West families should not be forced to choose between paying for food or medication – the basics of life should not be considered a luxury that most low-income families cannot afford,” Ms Varian said.

“These impossible choices make every day a challenge and, most disturbingly, we are setting up intergenerational disadvantage. We must do better,” she added.

The research also revealed that single parents were the hardest hit group, with nine out of ten single parents going without essentials over the past 12 months.

NSW children are also bearing the brunt of the growing cost-of-living pressures, with parents cutting back spending on meals, essential healthcare and education resources.

Three in four households (74 per cent) sacrificed spending on their children, while half (52 per cent) sacrificed spending on health and wellbeing essentials.

One in five delayed early childhood education.

“The ripple effects of these sacrifices are profound, causing increased stress and tension within households, affecting relationships, mental health and wellbeing, and child development outcomes,” Ms Varian said.

“Most people on low incomes in this survey were working, and many were taking on additional jobs and hours but still going backwards. Even those who received a pay rise could not match the increase to their costs of living.”

Ms Varian said the peak body had a set of recommendations for the NSW and Commonwealth Governments, developed in consultation with NCOSS members.

These recommendations include lifting Commonwealth income support for those at risk, increasing Commonwealth Rent Assistance, providing universal early childcare, implementing a universal school food program in NSW, and improving bus networks in regional, rural and remote communities.