By 1932 more than 60,000 men, women and children depended on government payments for food, called 'susso' (short for 'sustenance'), which allowed them to buy only small amounts of food. One Queenslander said that 'Many spend more on a dog' than the government spent on helping people survive.

What did the susso do?

The 'Susso'

The unemployed were issued with coupons or ration tickets that they could exchange for groceries, milk and bread. The government labelled it 'sustenance payment' but Australians referred to it as 'being on the susso. '

What is the sustenance payment?

The Susso is an Australian slang term referring to "sustenance" (welfare) payments, especially during the Great Depression. "Susso" could also be used as a noun, for someone depending on such payments, often unsympathetically.