More than 6000 North East residents received the payment in December, including 2341 from Wodonga and 1370 in Wangaratta, compared with just 4010 in March, 2020.

About 5400 residents from the wider Albury, Deniliquin, Corowa and Tocumwal region received JobSeeker payments in December, including 1192 people in Lavington alone, compared with just 3880 people when pandemic restrictions began.

The number of people in the region receiving JobSeeker peaked in August when 12,500 people were signed up for the support scheme, up from 7892 in March.

Uniting Care Albury financial counselling team leader Kaily Goodsell said the amount of people seeking financial counselling had decreased due to the COVID support measure in place.

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She said support agencies were very worried about what would happen when the COVID supplement ended and the JobSeeker payment potentially returned to its previous Newstart rate of $40 a day.

The freeze on evictions and rent increases would also expire later this year.

"The sector as whole is very concerned about what we're going see come April," she said.

"We're aware supplements cease in March as well as bank hardship holds ceasing. Everything stops at once, the hold chasing up debt stops and extra money stops.

"Come April it is going to be a very different picture and we're preparing but we don't know what it will look like."

On Sunday Treasurer Josh Frydenberg would not commit to increasing the payment when its coronavirus supplement ended.

But he said the government would make a decision before it ended in March.

Mrs Goodsell said the reduction in people needing financial counselling, as well other support services, was clear evidence the base rate of JobSeeker should be increased.