Single pensioners will get an extra $32.49 a week on full pensions, lifting their payment from $304.19 to $336.68 - the biggest jump since 1972. Couples will get a raise of $10.14 to lift their payment to $507.50.

St Albans-based Maltese Pensioners Association president Paul Sammut said pensioner couples were "very upset".

"They say it is not fair that singles get $32 and married couples get $10. When we buy the food, we buy for two people," said the 71-year-old, whose club has 500 members. "What is $10 today? Nothing. Everything goes up. It's not good enough."

Mr Sammut claimed some couples had cheated the system to reap benefits. "They go to social security and tell them they have separated, but they still live under the same roof so they get the single pension."

Keilor Over 50s Recreation Club president Ralph Miller said singles were delighted and hoped the extra money could help pay for "luxury" expenses such as entertainment or dining.

But he agreed that couples had mixed feelings. "A lot of couples wouldn't be happy about it. Some couples are financially comfortable; others are going from week to week," the 74-year-old said. "These days, you would probably buy some bread and milk and that's your $10 gone."

Deer Park Senior Citizens member Imelda Grixti, 60, is on a disability pension and husband John, 66, is on a carer payment.

The Maltese immigrant, who has bipolar disorder, said an extra $10 a week wouldn't change her lifestyle. "We've been in Australia 54 years. I can't say I have been to Queensland or Sydney or Brisbane. It would be nice to go out every Saturday night for dinner, but it's cheaper eating in."

Australian Council of Social Service chief executive Clare Martin welcomed the increases. "We have not seen an increase of this size for singles since the early '70s," she said. "It's a real recognition from the Government that the pension level was not providing Australians a decent standard of living."

Despite the criticism of the couple pension increase, Ms Martin welcomed it, saying Government dollars were tight with a deficit of $57.6 billion.

Deer Park pensioner Eileen Garvey, 87, was delighted with the extra cash. "It will come in very, very handy" she said.