Older Australians want unemployment payments examined in a review of retirement incomes amid a growing chorus of people calling for them to be increased.
Advocacy group National Seniors Australia says with the largest proportion of people on Newstart being those aged between 55 and 64, the payment is part of the "retirement ecosystem".
"They struggle to find a job, struggle to make ends meet, forcing them to eat into their retirement savings and as a result, they struggle to stay out of poverty when they do eventually retire," the group's chief advocate Ian Henschke said.
"It's false economics to punish older Australians needlessly as they head towards retirement because they will end up on a full pension after chewing up their savings and super."
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The Morrison government last week ruled out including the welfare payment in the upcoming retirement income review.
National Seniors has also joined growing calls for a substantive boost to the $277-a-week payment.
But Prime Minister Scott Morrison is sticking to his mantra that the best form of welfare is a job.
"Our government will not rest until we get them all into jobs," he told parliament on Monday.
He derided Labor's calls for an increase as "unfunded empathy".
While Labor hasn't attached a figure to any boost, the Greens and welfare groups say Newstart should go up by $75 a week.
Australian Associated Press
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