Their situation would only improve when they became old enough to receive the age pension, they said.
One welfare recipient, an executive who lost their job during Covid, said they were forced to deplete their savings before they could start receiving jobseeker payments in December.
The person has deferred their mortgage, was now choosing between groceries and medication to treat a mental health issue, and had cancelled their health and home and contents insurance.
They also claimed they were forced to have their cat put down because they couldn’t afford a required treatment.
Several jobseekers told how the government’s decision to initially increase the jobseeker payment by $550 a fortnight last year had briefly changed their lives.
They will have to attend face-to-face appointments with officials, make 20 job searches a month and take a short training course or do work experience after six months on welfare.