<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>340026</docID> <postdate>2025-03-10 12:25:10</postdate> <headline>Millions of Australians set for welfare payments boost</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-330598" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20230630001815968522-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="550" /></p> <caption>More than five million welfare recipients will receive thousands of dollars more annually. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Tess Ikonomou</strong> in Canberra</span></p> <p><strong>Millions of Australians on welfare will have their payments boosted by thousands of dollars each year under indexation changes due to kick in.</strong></p> <p>More than five million recipients, including pensioners, renters, and job seekers will receive the increases from March 20.</p> <p>The Labor government has played up the changes saying that after indexation rises over the past three years are added in, recipients are getting thousands extra per year.</p> <p>From March 20, the maximum single rate of pension for those on the age pension, disability support pension and carer payment will increase by $4.60 to $1149.00 a fortnight.</p> <p>Single JobSeeker recipients aged 22 and with no children will get a rise of up to $3.10 to $789.90 a fortnight, including the energy supplement payment.</p> <p>Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the government was helping with cost-of-living pressures.</p> <p>"We've spent the past three years strengthening our social security system, so that it helps Australians at whatever age or stage they're at in life," she said.</p> <p>"Indexation is a critical part of our social security safety net. For pensioners and other payment recipients receiving this financial boost, this will help ease some pressure."</p> <p>Labor committed $11.5 billion to the nation's social security system in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 federal budgets.</p> </body>