WITH a federal budget imminent and an election to be called any day, what to make of treasurer Josh Frydenberg's announcement of a one-off energy assistance payment?
Is it genuine concern for people struggling to meet rising energy bills or a way to sway cash-strapped voters?
The assistance payment, worth $285 million, will see age pensioners, veterans, carers, single parents and people on the disability support pension receive $75 for singles and $125 for couples.
The payment will be paid automatically before the end of the financial year, subject to the passage of legislation.
More than 3.9 million people will receive the payment, which Mr Frydenberg told Channel 9 would "go into people's pockets to meet the cost of their next power bill".
The one-off payment is additional to the current energy supplement paid as part of the age pension, which stands at $14.10 (single) and $10.60 (for each member of a couple) per fortnight.
A similar payment was included in the 2017 federal budget.
The move has been described as a "cash splash", with opponents pointing out that last year the Coalition government tried, and failed, to scrap the energy supplement for new welfare payment recipients.
At the same time, consumers continue to struggle with high energy bills.
So, should taxpayers fund the coffers of energy companies, and the campaigns of political parties, to help out our most vulnerable?
Writing for National Seniors members last week, the organisation's chief advocate Ian Henschke said rumours were the budget was "going to be a big cash splash".
"There's talk of a one-off payment for age pensioners," he wrote. "I'm sure most will appreciate the extra cash but does that solve a systemic problem?"
Australian Council of Social Service chief executive Cassandra Goldie says the one-off payment "excludes people on the lowest incomes and pales in comparison to the ongoing benefits to be reaped by those on high incomes" from the government's existing high-end tax cuts worth billions.
Dr Goldie said the government was ignoring the people who are doing it the hardest - those on the lowest incomes and those looking for paid work who are on Newstart.
"It means that people on modest incomes will receive a once-only payment of $75 while people earning more than $200,000 a year are set to be $200 better off a week, every week.
"It's grossly unfair to give high income earners tax-cut handouts week after week while those on modest incomes get a fraction of this as a one-off payment, and people on the lowest incomes miss out altogether."
She called on the government to increase Newstart by $75 a week - something that would cost far less than the government's income tax cuts already in place.
Rising costs
The NSW Water and Energy Ombudsman says that over the past 10 years, the cost of energy in that state has increased well beyond the Consumer Price Index and wage growth.
Welcoming the Australian Energy Regulator's new Customer Hardship Policy Guideline today, ombudsman Janine Young said payment difficulties, debt and disconnection of supply were now the norm for many consumers.
In 2017-18, complaints to the ombudsman's office relating to energy affordability increased by 12 per cent and were present in 21 per cent of all complaints.
According to the Australian Energy Regulator, 37,565 households had their electricity or gas disconnected last financial year, up 14 per cent on 2016-17.
