Australians were worried about growing poverty across the country and the impact on young people trying to get into a home, even before the recent surge in inflation and the fallout from the war against Iran, a nationwide report has revealed. Compiled for the Brotherhood of St Laurence and based on a survey of more than 2600 people, the research found three-quarters of those quizzed had been affected by cost-of-living pressures over the past two years with 27 per cent experiencing “persistent stress or anxiety”. Charities have reported a steep increase in the number of people using their services over the past three years. People who have previously never used charities, such as those with mortgages, have been forced to get assistance to survive the cost squeeze caused by high interest rates and inflation. The Reserve Bank is expected to deliver a third interest rate rise by the middle of the year while inflation, due to high oil prices, is now expected to reach at least 5 per cent by June.…