Among people on government benefits alone, there are 55,354 registered as “separated under one roof” as of June 30.Credit:Divorce lawyers and relationship counsellors say the trend is increasing among higher socioeconomic groups as well.
The couple have three children together and Spyer has a newborn, but the relationship with the baby’s father broke down last year. National figures from Services Australia show a 47 per cent rise in the number of clients who are “separated under one roof” since 2018, when there were 37,710 clients in that position. The numbers also climbed 4 per cent in the past year.The figures include people receiving a range of government benefits, including the Age Pension, Parenting Payment, JobSeeker, AusStudy, Youth Allowance and Family Tax Benefit.
“We are seeing it more due to the cost-of-living crisis,” Devries said. “It’s definitely something that’s on the increase.” Relationships Australia NSW chief executive Elisabeth Shaw, a family and relationship counsellor with 30 years’ experience, said the trend was across the board in terms of socioeconomic status, especially since people with money tended to have bigger homes where the two adults could have separate bedrooms.