Geraldton single mother Chrissy Andre reveals day-to-day cost-of-living struggles

Working two jobs, scrimping to pay the power bill, not having enough money leftover for her kids to play sport or get haircuts, borrowing off her parents to ensure there’s enough food on the table. That is the harsh day-to-day reality facing single mother-of-two Chrissy Andre, who is raising two children — one of whom has an intellectual disability — while being one of the countless, forgotten faces at the coalface of the nation’s cost of living crisis. While the crunch of just living is the hot button topic of the Federal election campaign, Ms Andre avoids anything to do with politics, insisting all politicians do is just “crap on”. She said if she ever got the chance to speak to a politician, what she would have to say to them wouldn’t be very nice. It’s her belief that it doesn’t matter who wins on May 21 because no one could change Australia’s living situation. “There’s no chance politicians think about people like me,” she said. People like her are increasing by the day, as low-income earners struggle to make ends meet. She works two jobs on top of receiving Centrelink benefits. Often pulling double shifts, her schedule to survive means she misses out on quality time with her mother and still can’t afford little luxuries like sporting fees or birthday parties for her kids. Ms Andre lives in a Geraldton rental with her two children Tempany Reheu, 20, and Davion Anderson, 14, along with her cousin Jesse Jones who moved in to help pay the rent and bills. When the family relocated two years ago she was accepted into a $400 a week rental, but despite having a home for her family Ms Andre barely scrapes by once rent, bills and food are paid. Ms Andre said downsizing to a smaller house wasn’t an option because there were none available or they were just as expensive. Her JobSeeker allowance barely covers rent — after she pays it she is left with $100 to spend a week. “I actually have two jobs on top of receiving a payment just so I can survive and feed the kids,” Mrs Andre said. On average Ms Andre earns around $36,000 a year working her two jobs along with her Centrelink benefits. “I put money straight into the power, so I kind of keep the power bill even,” she said. “I’ve been skimping and saving for said house deposit for two years now.” Ms Andre said she required a $32,000 deposit for a “basic, s...ty house” and trying to save that with two teenagers meant they went without. “Davion hasn’t played sport in a few years because I just physically can’t afford it, Tempany does because NDIS helps and she pays her own fees, pretty much,” she said. Tempany is unemployed due to her intellectual disability. Ms Andre describes the payments her daughter receives as a “measly amount”. “She gets a payment of $400 a fortnight,” she said. “She’s still classified as my dependent but they don’t give me any care allowance for her because she is not majorly disabled, but she can’t hold a job. “She was born deaf, they classify it now as an intellectual disability. “She can’t think for herself, she can’t concentrate.” Before Ms Andre had her children, she said she was a shareholder in a property and had other mortgages. “I owned a couple of houses when I was younger, one with a business partner and things went south, and the other I had to sell to fund Tempany’s operations when she was little,” she said. “Tempany had three operations before she was six. I either had to wait or pay for them upfront.” The biggest set back of all for Ms Andre was when she separated from her most recent husband. “I pretty much packed up the kids, my furniture and moved home to my mum’s. It took me a few months to get on my feet,” she said. Ms Andre said she was “very much so” one of those people working two jobs and still struggling to afford the rising cost of living. “I just miss the quality time, I suppose, is the real thing I miss out on working two jobs. I’m never here,” she said. Ms Andre said she was always raised to never spend money she didn’t have, and will not borrow money. “Places like Foodbank save me, it’s just one way of being creative,” she said. “I’ll only borrow money off my mum if I don’t have enough food. If I don’t have money I know I can always go to my mum’s and raid the pantry or the fridge — just go over and shop at their place.” Other luxuries the family can’t afford include Tempany’s driving lessons, professional hair appointments and family trips. “I have got her a driving lesson or two, but it’s $70 and I only earn $30 an hour,” Ms Andre said. “I’m trying to save for a 21st as well.” The busy mother is also the hairdresser in the family and “unfortunately cut the kids hair”. “I actually splashed out and got Davion his first ever haircut a couple of months ago,” she said. Tempany said her dream job was childcare and she was excited her grandparents were going to pay for her 21st this year. But despite the struggles and setbacks they face every day, Ms Andre says her family is a happy one. “I don’t see the point in being sad about what you can’t control,” she said.