Welfare policy remains in 'pandemic-mode'

Social Services Minister Anne Ruston has confirmed to a Senate estimates hearing she is focused on measures introduced during the health crisis.

"Much of pre-pandemic policy is on hold because we've moved into a pandemic-mode and addressing the issues that have been caused by the pandemic," she said in Canberra on Thursday.

"That's where we are still at the moment."

One policy kicked down the road is doubling the liquid asset wait time to up to six months, for an expected saving of $173 million over four years.

It would have meant people applying for JobSeeker who have more than $18,000 would have to wait 26 weeks before receiving a payment.

Another policy - which the government struggled to have enough support in parliament for - was drug testing welfare recipients.

It has not been revoked as government policy but is not being progressed.

"It is not my intention to bring it back at this time," Senator Ruston said.

Welfare officials rely on economic projections from Treasury in relation to the number of people who are expected to be unemployed and might need support.

Treasury estimates 100,000 to 150,000 people on JobKeeper will lose their jobs when the payment ends next week.

Department of Social Services officials said 37,000 people were receiving both the wage subsidy and the JobSeeker unemployment support payment at the end of February.

The number of people relying on JobSeeker has reduced slightly so far this year, from 1.32 million in January to 1.17 million as of last week.

Secretary of the department Kathryn Campbell said officials were preparing to have enough staff in case there was a rise in claims after JobKeeper.

"And we've also encouraged people to apply early rather than leave it to the last moment."

The JobSeeker payment was boosted during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, but the increase has gradually been tapered down.

The long-term rate is now about $44 a day for a single person with no children, which critics say is not enough.

Department of Social Services deputy secretary Matthew Flavel could not say how many people were expected to lose support when their partners' wage has a bigger effect on payments.

"We have not broken that down," he said.

Greens senator Rachel Siewert also asked officials for an update on the number of children linked to each support payment.

There are more than 410,000 children who have parents on JobSeeker and 98,000 whose parents are on the parenting support payment.

Senator Ruston could not provide a number on the amount of people who had their welfare payments stopped because of various job programs, where activities have to be completed to get support.

That was a matter for employment department officials, she said.

"We are not the decision maker or the policy maker in relation to mutual obligations."

Australian Associated Press