Minister rules out budget welfare decision

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said unemployed Australians would need to wait a little longer for the government to make a decision about the rate of the dole.

"We have already said that the ongoing arrangements in relation to JobSeeker payments will be announced later this year," Senator Cormann told ABC radio on Monday.

"We will be making those decisions after we have had the opportunity to further assess how the economy recovers and how many people and to what extent people are able to get back into work."

The coronavirus supplement paid to people on JobSeeker is due to end on December 31.

Unless the government intervenes, the dole will then return to its pre-pandemic rate of just $40 a day.

Roughly 1.6 million people are relying on the unemployment benefit, with Australia's jobless rate doubling during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Australian Council of Social Service has called for the budget to contain a permanent, adequate increase to the JobSeeker payment.

ACOSS chief executive Cassandra Goldie said it was important for people sacked during the recession, as well as those still employed in industries reliant on consumer spending.

Dr Goldie said baking in the JobSeeker boost should take priority over fast-tracking personal income tax cuts.

"Every dollar that is committed in this federal budget needs to be going into the hands of people who will give us the best value for it," she told reporters.

"And what better value can you give than keeping people out of poverty, and supporting people who will spend in the real economy, helping to keep other people in jobs."

Australian Associated Press