There were more than 26,000 searches for help and support in January 2023 across Australia, the highest on record, according to Lifeline.
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It comes as Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross is stepping in to provide clothes, meals and housing to local communities desperate for help.
Wayside Chapel is expecting 316 visitors on average each day through its doors. That is an increase of 100 people per day over last winter.
Wayside CEO Reverend Jon Owens said more people were reaching out for meals.
"We're attributing this uptick to a new demographic of people who would be called 'newly at risk' of homelessness," he said.
"This is as well as people who are seeking out support just for the basics, who are literally being brought down to the decisions of do I heat the house, or do I eat a meal tonight?"
Lifeline also reported a rise in callers seeking help from their crisis support services.
Referral searches by Lifeline's helpline counsellors specifically relating to financial issues and homelessness increased by 49 percent between August 2022 and January 2023.
Lifeline centres reported an increase in help seekers who had never experienced financial stress before, according to chief research officer Dr Anna Brooks.
"One of the things that is quite striking is that we have people who've never sought support before.
"So young couples with mortgages or paying rent are certainly part of that cohort," she said.
Social isolation linked to ill health
Reverend Owens leads a team of 140 staff and 600 volunteers each week at Wayside Chapel and he said they were focused on providing opportunities for "togetherness".
"We've got choirs, chess nights, band nights, we're watching State of Origin together," he said.
"When we struggle with our mental health we realise that mental health doesn't discriminate by our socioeconomic background. Loneliness is also quite similar."
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Financial stress can exacerbate social isolation and become a risk factor for suicide, according to Dr Brooks from Lifeline.
"When you're struggling to pay the bills, doing extra things like meeting friends for a coffee, those sorts of activities sadly often have to be curtailed," she said.
"There is also evidence to suggest that people can experience distress and suicidal thoughts when facing financial stress and uncertainty."
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, loneliness has been linked to premature death, poor physical and mental health and general dissatisfaction with life.
