22-05-2025
Adelaide mother-of-four admits to stealing food amid cost-of-living crisis
A mother-of-four has made the shocking admission she regularly shoplifts to feed her children amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Nakiah* said she feels guilty but blames rising food prices for leaving her with little choice to ensure her children do not go hungry.
'No parent wants to hear your kid say 'I'm still hungry' after dinner,' Nakiah told 7NEWS.
'I feel guilt but at the same time I don't because it's for my children — I'll do anything for my children.'
The single mother, from Adelaide's northern suburbs, is not alone, with Salvation Army data released ahead of the charity's annual Red Shield Appeal showing the cost-of living crisis is having widespread impact.
The Red Shield Report 2025 — which surveyed 3586 vulnerable Australians who had received food, financial aid or material aid from The Salvation Army — found almost a quarter (24 per cent) had eaten food past its expiry date to save money.
It also found one in 20 Australians have taken and eaten food from bins outside supermarkets and restaurants, while a majority of people are skipping meals.
Nakiah said the rising costs of housing and essential services and other basic living expenses meant there was often not enough money left to adequately feed her family.
She admits to shoplifting at least once a fortnight so her children don't go to bed hungry, saying it is her last resort — and it frightens her.
'You walk through (the shops) just watching and knowing I'm about to do something like that — it's so scary,' she told 7NEWS.
'So many people are just brought to guilt and shame to do the wrong thing when they don't want to.
'We can't do this any more, we can't keep living like this.'
Salvation Army spokesperson Robyn Lorimer said many people across Australia were cutting corners to make ends meet.
'We're finding people would prefer to sit in the dark than put their lights on,' she said.
'For some, they're even having to go to a public toilet or shopping centre just to shower because they can't justify the water costs.'
The Salvation Army is aiming to raise $2 million in its annual Red Shield appeal this weekend, to support those people doing it tough — and to intervene before more of them resort to crime.
