Case studies: Economic impacts ‘Jacob’, aged 13, told Kids Helpline that he is worried about the family finances because his mum has lost both her jobs in a shop and a hotel because of coronavirus. He said they do not have much money, and he thinks that his mum recently went to a charity outlet to get some food. ‘Elissa’, aged 16, rang Kids Helpline to say that she has been very sad and depressed lately. She is finding it difficult to study. She said her stepdad recently lost his job, and her parents are fighting over money. Her mother is sick and does not speak English well, so her stepdad is the main breadwinner. Her parents are also yelling at her and her sister all the time. She is worried about whether she will be able to afford university or find a job in the future. ‘Hunter’, aged 18, told Kids Helpline that COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on his life. He previously had three jobs in retail, hospitality and dancing, which he loved, but they have all been cancelled. He applied for Centrelink but was rejected. So now he is couch surfing and is out of money for food. He can’t go home because his sister has a disability and can’t be exposed to germs. He is starting to get very worried and distressed. ‘Alice’, aged 19, rang Kids Helpline to say that she was depressed and worried about her future. She had two jobs in hospitality until recently but has lost both of them due to coronavirus. This has meant she has to go back to live in a small country town with her parents, which she is not looking forward to, as she will be away from her friends and her dad is abusive. ‘Amy’, aged 20, contacted Kids Helpline to say that everyone in her family has lost their jobs because of coronavirus. She is the only one who now has a job, and so her mum has been depending on her for all the living expenditures and paying bills. Her brother is getting some payments from Centrelink, but is not contributing anything to the bills, which is making her feel resentful and upset. She is worried that they will not be able to afford the rent. ‘Toby’, aged 24, rang Kids Helpline saying he is terrified of living on no money. His workplace reduced his hours, and then last night they cancelled his shift at the last minute due to coronavirus. His girlfriend also just told him that her workplace is shutting down as well. They are behind in their bills. It couldn’t come at a worse time as it was only three months ago that his girlfriend tried to kill herself and spent a few weeks in hospital. He is scared about living without money. (b) Work challenges Young people spoke about work being more stressful because of increased workload, the nature of the work or abuse from customers. This included young people working in childcare, teaching, health, eldercare and supermarkets. Two percent (59) of children and young people raised COVID-19 in the context of challenges they were experiencing at work. These concerns were mostly raised by young people aged 18-25, who are more likely to be in employment. Impacts of COVID-19 on children and young people who contact Kids Helpline • 2020 • 33