A Melbourne woman has revealed the tough reality of trying to survive on just $8 a day, the amount some pensioners have left from their Centrelink payments after paying rent.
Zoe Heacock, 28, who works for the homeless charity We Are Mobilise, attempted the challenge as part of Nedd Brockman’s 2025 Uncomfortable Challenge.
The Uncomfortable Challenge is designed to raise funds and awareness for Australians experiencing homelessness by encouraging people to do something difficult for 10 days.
Heacock was motivated to take part after reading sobering research from Everybody’s Home, a national campaign tackling Australia’s housing crisis.
According to its 2024 report, anyone reliant on the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension (DSP), or even a full-time minimum wage, would face ‘severe rental stress’ in almost every part of the country.
Calculated on average capital city rents, those payments would leave just $8 per day after rent.
‘I thought it was an absolutely crazy number,’ she told news.com.au. ‘I don’t think I could do it.’
The maximum Age Pension for a single person is $1,178.70 per fortnight; it’s the same for anyone over 21 on the DSP.
Zoe Heacock (pictured) shared her day-to-day living budget of just $8 daily on social media
That works out to $589.35 per week, or $84.19 per day, but only before rent is deducted.
Unlike JobSeeker, most people on the Age Pension or DSP rely on those payments for life or many years, making the situation ‘even more dire’.
Heacock soon realised how impossible the challenge was.
Public transport alone quickly blew her daily budget.
‘One thing that really shocked me was that I was going to work every day in the city and on public transport, and the trams were $5.50 one way,’ she said.
‘Even with concession fares, that’s more than half my daily allowance.’
Transport issues only added to her stress.
‘Yesterday I nearly got fined on the tram for not paying. I had to put $20 on my Myki in front of the inspector,’ she said.
The $8 a day figure is what is left after deducting the average rent across Australian cities
‘This morning I didn’t tap on because it’s $11 a day just for trams. If I was only paying for public transport and not even buying food, I’d already be over my limit.’
The strain also brought home the social cost.
‘It made me think about how I have so many wonderful friends who I’ve met through having shared interests, and a lot of the time those shared interests have involved spending money, buying tickets for music events, sharing dinner and drinks,’ she said.
‘All of these things involve a cost, and having hobbies and participating socially often have a cost that people on the pension just simply can’t afford.’
Her meals became increasingly desperate.
‘I’m living off batch bolognaise that I made, expired yoghurt that was really cheap that I didn’t realise was expired when I bought it, instant coffee… free pastries that they’re giving away at the end of the day at the cafe downstairs.’
‘It’s pretty crazy that the people who are the most vulnerable and have the highest needs and probably the highest expenses are forced to live on the lowest incomes. It’s just barrier after barrier, challenge after challenge.’
Heacock managed to raise $2,389 in donations through her challenge.
