The community sector is far from sighing with relief over the Abbott government's plans to drop the waiting period for the dole from six months to one month for young people, arguing those under 25 will still go hungry and without rent.
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As the Parliament began to digest the budget, the new policy faces an uncertain journey through the Senate, with Labor and the Greens opposed and significant doubts expressed from some on the crossbench.
One of the government's headline measures in Tuesday night's budget was a dramatic scaling back of its controversial 2014-15 budget measure that wanted to make people under 30 wait six months for the dole. The Coalition is now proposing that people under 25 "actively seek work" for four weeks before getting Newstart or Youth Allowance.
But while the new policy is not as punitive as last year's, the National Welfare Rights Network said it would still place young people in severe financial hardship and leave them without food and money to pay their rent and properly look for work.
"Even having it reduced to one month is still too long for someone who has just become unemployed," president Kate Beaumont said.
Policy officer Gerard Thomas added that young people applying for income support are unlikely to have significant savings behind them.
"It will lead to greater levels of welfare dependency, not less," Mr Thomas said.
"Many people wouldn't be able to survive four weeks without a pay cheque. Why is it any different for young people?"
The concerns were echoed by the Australian Council of Social Service, the Brotherhood of St Lawrence and Mission Australia who warned, "You can't pay the rent with thin air".
Labor and the Greens also slammed the idea of a four-week wait, and quickly announced they will not back the policy.
"The government hasn't learnt ... [the policy] should be scrapped entirely," Labor families spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said.
Greens family spokeswoman Rachel Siewert said four weeks was long enough for a young person to get into $1000 of debt as they tried to live and eat.
"If they are not lucky enough to move off payments and into a job quickly, we are condemning them to a poverty trap," she said.
The rumblings of dissent on the all-important Senate crossbench - where six votes out of eight are needed to pass legislation - have also begun.
Independent Nick Xenophon said he did not understand the "policy rationale" and that the government should be focusing on stimulating job growth instead.
Motoring Enthusiast senator Ricky Muir said there was no justification for the measure and the waiting period should be wound back completely.
Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer, who has one senator on the crossbench, has previously said that unemployed people should not have to "wait a minute" for welfare.
On Wednesday, Mr Palmer described the budget change as a "move in the right direction".
"All I am saying is one month is better than six," he said.
Currently, all dole applicants have to wait for a week before they can make a claim.
During his official budget press conference on Tuesday, Treasurer Joe Hockey said the government had "listened" and "heard" when it came to concerns about the approach to young people in last year's budget.
