It follows the release of Anglicare's  annual rental affordability report on Monday which found a “shocking” decline in the affordability of rental properties in Canberra for low income earners.

St John’s Care chief executive Sarah Murdoch said the service has recorded a 10 per cent increase since this time last year in families using their services.

She said all of the families that comprised the 10 per cent increase were working families, meaning one or more of the adults held employment.

Ms Murdoch said the figure was actually greater than it seemed as the families averaged four children and therefore the amount of food St John’s was providing has increased by greater than 10 per cent.

“A lot more people are finding it harder to cover rent,” she said.

“Many are working two jobs.”

Ms Murdoch said another change St John’s found was a decrease in donations, which the service relies on to supplement its minimal government funding.

She said the increase in working families using the service and the decrease in donations was likely linked as families struggling to make ends meet could no longer afford charitable donations.

One Canberra mother who has experienced difficulty in managing rising costs of living is Kristen Castro. She is well placed to judge this trend as a mother working to support her own family and also through her position as manager at Canberra City Care in Charnwood.

Mrs Castro works at a pharmacy to supplement her earnings to support her family of three children aged six, four and three.

She said she regularly works 13 hour days between both jobs and most weekends.

Mrs Castro’s husband has recently started his own architecture business after being made redundant. She said he was unable to find consistent work in the Canberra market and therefore his income could vary substantially.

She said more than half of the couple’s income went towards rent and described private rentals in Canberra as “outrageous”.

Mrs Castro said her family was representative of many working families that were in a “grey area” where they did not qualify for government housing or certain benefits but found managing living costs almost impossible.

“There are countless days I’ll send the kids to school with lunch but my husband and I have to go without,” Mrs Castro said.

“It’s this ongoing battle of always being behind to pay something.

“We won’t be able to afford rent this fortnight.”

In addition to rent Mrs Castro said a rise in grocery prices, electricity and gas bills was a factor in their financial struggles.

She said her kids were already wearing their heavy winter coats at home because they were afraid to turn on heating too early in the season.

Mrs Castro admitted it was embarrassing to have to come up with excuses for why the family can’t attend dinners out or weekends away. She said it also led to a constant fear of losing work or not being able to provide adequately for her children.

Ms Murdoch said while many families attending St John’s were familiar with social services there was a marked increase in families “embarrassed to even be walking in the door”.

Both Ms Murdoch and Mrs Castro highlighted the assistance services like St John’s and Canberra City Care could provide and urged anyone in need to reach out.