As fuel and grocery prices rise and the rental crisis looms, two charities - Emmanuel Care and The Salvation Army admit there is a strong culture where people ‘do the rounds’ among charities in Dubbo.

The Salvation Army offers food parcels, and helps to pay rent and electricity bills for those in need.

Salvation Army captain Chris Radburn said many people were taking advantage of local charity agencies.

“Some people might come here for a food parcel and then go somewhere else for electricity assistance,” Captain Radburn said. “We see so much of it, but people are doing it to survive.”

Mr Radburn said up to three thousand people in Dubbo make contact with the Salvation Army each year.

He said it is difficult to monitor the large and growing number of people that come in for assistance with every other agency in town.

“I left here last Tuesday and went into Vinnies and there was someone waiting there that had been to see us.”

“We wish we could do more for people sometimes,” he said.

Emmanuel Care assistant manager Rod Boland said charity cheats exist in Dubbo.

“One man came in the other day and it was as though he was having a holiday on welfare, that’s what you pick up along those lines,” Mr Boland said.

“We have people coming in from Vinnies or the Salvo’s because we can see the stamps on their income statements, we know they have been there but it doesn’t stop them getting stuff,” he said.

“People are doing the rounds and doing the system, but we do keep record,” he said.

Mr Radburn said there is a two-month period where the organisation won’t give assistance to those who have already received help, but often exceptions are made.

“We are a welfare agency and we stress that to people when they come in on a regular basis, that we are not part of their budget and we do have financial counselling for them,” he said.

Captain Radburn said he is also concerned over a growing number of pensioners seeking assistance.

“That to me is so wrong, the elderly need to be looked after properly, you would think there would have been something more on offer for them in the Federal budget, “ Captain Radburn said.