Posted April 03, 2017 19:49:01

Photo: WACOSS says some households are having utilities cut as they struggle to pay bills. (AAP)

Many West Australians are struggling to cope with high housing costs, rising utilities, and the cost of healthcare, a new report has found.

The Choice Pulse Consumer Report offers a snapshot of chief economic and consumer concerns across the nation.

Choice chief executive Alan Kirkland said many West Australians were struggling in the wake of the mining boom's collapse in the state.

"Lots of households are really doing it tough and are struggling to pay their day to day expenses. People say their household bills are going up," he said.

"While some costs might have come down with the end of the mining boom, people are worried about the future of the economy, people are feeling pessimistic about the economy."

Almost half of West Australians rated their economy as "poor" compared with around a third of people who did the same from the eastern states.

Many people in the state are also worried about losing their jobs, a concern since the state has continued to struggle with high unemployment.

"People are quite worried about the labour market, half of those we surveyed feared losing their jobs or that their spouse might lose their job," Mr Kirkland said.

"People don't feel very secure in their job."

Many people are struggling to cope with the high price of rent and housing costs in the state and are cutting back on expenses, according to the report.

"Large numbers of people are cutting back on essential and non-essential items and both are concerning," Mr Kirkland said.

"When people cut back on shopping, going out for a meal, that impacts the economy, businesses and what other people rely on for employment.

"Renters are struggling, around half are struggling to get by, let alone if they face some kind of economic shock."

WACOSS chief executive Louise Giolitto said West Australians were doing it particularly tough and poverty was increasing in the state.

"We have 240,000 people who are living on the poverty line," Ms Giolitto said.

She also said while the rental market was falling, those at the bottom of the rental scale remained under considerable stress.

"At the lowest end of the rental market it is highly competitive and those housing prices haven't fallen as much," she said.

"The increased demand, through a lack of social security payments and Commonwealth rent assistance, they are constantly being attacked on the federal level."

Ms Giolitto said many families were unable to meet basic living costs such as electricity and water.

"People are finding it difficult to keep their heads above water and an increasing number of people are having their electricity and water cut off." Ms Giolitto said.

The report found that more than 80 per cent of Australians were worried about high costs of electricity and that many were also concerned with the costs of healthcare in Australia.

Topics: community-and-society, poverty, economic-trends, business-economics-and-finance, wa