Tamworth's Salvation Army prepares for Red Shield Appeal as army survey lays out level of despair

A survey of people the army have helped in the last year shows that things are worse than ever.

New England Corps Officer Major Tony DeTomasso said there had definitely been an increase in demand for their services in Tamworth.

"By people just slipping down, not being able to buy and feed themselves, pay their utility bills. Homelessness is on the increase, we've seen people coming into town, living in their cars," he said.

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Released as part of the annual Red Shield Appeal, more than 1400 people who have called on the Salvos for assistance over the past 12 months answered the survey.

The research found that after paying for housing costs, 93 per cent of respondents were living below the poverty line, almost half of those had been forced to go without meals due to shortage of money, and 36 per cent couldn't even afford medicines prescribed to them.

Major DeTomasso credited a hefty increase in the cost of living as a "major factor" in the increased financial pain and misery in Tamworth.

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He said the price of goods and services was constantly increasing, but the JobSeeker payment wasn't.

Aid services in Tamworth ought to hold a "summit" to coordinate to solve the city's problems, he said.

"Let's get together and let's work together in a way that is tackling those issues," he said.

The army called on the next elected federal government to focus on the most vulnerable in society.

"Being able to meet basic living expenses should be the norm for all in an advanced economy like Australia, and not something we are still discussing in 2022," Major Bruce Harmer, National Public Relations Secretary, said.

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Meanwhile, the Salvation Army is preparing to kick off this year's Red Shield Appeal next week.

The army aims to raise $36 million to fund more than 2,000 centres and services across Australia.

Tamworth's salvos aim to raise some $22,000 this year. Mostly that will take place online, with many schools still leery of sending students out for door-to-door fundraising for fear of COVID-19.

The Red Shield Appeal weekend will take place on 28 and 29 May.

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