Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced that the government will adopt measures recommended by the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee (EIAC) in the federal budget.
JobSeeker will jump from the current $762.70 per fortnight for single people up to $1004.67 – a rise of $121 per week or about $17 per day.
“There will be additional steps which are conscious of the recommendations that put to us,” Chalmers said.
“We take it seriously. We can’t afford to do every recommendation put to us by that committee.
“In some cases, announcing future directions is warranted. In others, we need to be a bit more careful because we need to be cognisant of the budget situation and what we can afford.
Chalmers also announced net debt will be $152 billion lower than forecast by the previous Coalition government.
That would save the country $80 billion in interest payments over the next decade, he said.