Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has reinforced the need to reduce welfare payments to pre-pandemic levels amid complaints from business owners.

Ray Hadley has highlighted the struggle of restaurateurs facing rejection from job applicants benefitting from the higher rates.

Mr Frydenberg told Ray jobs are returning, but the government does “recognise that those payments need to taper off”.

The JobSeeker coronavirus supplement has dropped to $150 from $550 per fortnight, and will disappear entirely at the end of March.

“We’ve actually seen the bottom 10 per cent income [bracket] across the country have a 20 per cent boost to their income.

“That has helped challenge some of the inequality that’s been out there, but at the same time this government support can’t continue indefinitely.”

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