Inequalities in the distribution of COVID-19-related financial difficulties for Australian families with young children.
Meredith O'Connor, Christopher J Greenwood, Primrose Letcher and 6 others
PMID 35373368WHAT IT FOUND
Families already facing financial disadvantage before the pandemic were significantly more likely to suffer multiple financial hardships during it.
This inequality persisted despite government welfare increases, suggesting that standard support measures may not adequately protect the most vulnerable households.
Key findings
01A third of parents reported at least one financial difficulty during the early pandemic phase, and a similar proportion (32%) in the later phase.
02Higher pre-pandemic socio-economic disadvantage was associated with increased odds of multiple financial difficulties, with each standard deviation increase linked to a 36% rise in odds.
03Grandparents' socio-economic disadvantage did not significantly interact with parents' disadvantage to further amplify financial risk, contrary to expectations.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample is predominantly White and Australian-born, which may not reflect the experiences of ethnic minority families. Attrition over the 39-year study period may have biased the sample, as more disadvantaged families were lost to follow-up. Data on non-ATP parents (e.g., fathers not in the original cohort) and non-ATP grandparents were not consistently available. The study did not directly measure financial transfers from grandparents to parents, so the role of intergenerational support could not be fully assessed.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding was provided by various Australian government and non-profit bodies, including the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that grandparent financial support buffers against pandemic-related hardship. The study found no evidence that grandparent socio-economic status interacted with parent status to worsen or improve financial outcomes, suggesting that parental resources are the primary driver of family financial resilience in this context.