People anxious about having JobKeeper payments reduced or withdrawn are being urged to check their eligibility for the dole.

JobKeeper wage subsidies are being extended for six months at reduced rates from September 28.

Payments for full-time staff are being slashed from $1500 to $1200 per fortnight, while people who usually worked less than 20 hours a week before the coronavirus pandemic will receive $750 every two weeks.

Social Services Minister Anne Ruston encouraged anyone concerned about having their income reduced to investigate JobSeeker unemployment benefits.

“We have temporarily put arrangements in place so that our social security safety net is not just for people who have lost their jobs,” Senator Ruston said on Monday.

“It is able to provide a cushion for people who have had or fear their hours or income will be reduced.”

• Related: Return of mutual obligation worsens job seekers woes
• Related: Unemployment rate falls 
• Related: October budget tax cuts

JobKeeper recipients on $1200 per fortnight may be eligible for a partial dole payment, lifting their total income to $1476.

People receiving JobKeeper at the part-time rate of $750 per fortnight could receive another $546 in unemployment benefits, boosting their incomes to $1295.

Families with children who receive JobSeeker payments automatically qualify for the full family tax benefit rate and may be eligible for rent assistance and other supports.

More than 900,000 businesses have received JobKeeper payments worth about $55 billion.

The money has been distributed to more than 3.5 million workers.

-AAP