Tony Reidy
TASMANIAN charities are bracing for a rise in demand, as families begin to suffer the effects of a cut to single parent benefits.
Under changes introduced on January 1, about 80,000 single parents Australia-wide will be moved from the single parenting payment to the Newstart allowance once their youngest child turns eight.
Tasmanian Council of Social Services chief executive Tony Reidy said the change would see parents lose up to $223 a fortnight, forcing them to live on $35 to $38 a day.
"There has been very widespread concern among Tasmania's single parents and the welfare groups that support them, in the lead up to this change," Mr Reidy said.
"Single parents were already struggling to make ends meet on the parenting allowance and the reduction will put them well below the poverty line."
Mr Reidy said Tasmania's charitable organisations had already been struggling with rising demand for services over the past few years, and the funding change would only see demand increase more.
Anglicare's state manager for children, family and community programs, Paul Mallett, said it was inevitable that the changes would see more people seeking assistance, and the organisation stood prepared to support them.
City Mission community development manager Mary-Ann Midson said she expected the payment change would see a "huge" number of people coming to them for support.
"We only get a certain amount of funding ... how are we going to meet that need?" she said.