About 34,000 seniors in the Lyne electorate will receive $250 for single pensioners and $380 for couples under the federal government’s Clean Energy Future package.

Many pensioners received their payment on Monday. The remainder are to be paid next week.

The money is designed to cover increased living expenses expected after the federal government’s carbon tax is introduced on July 1.

Port Macquarie pensioner Paul Bickford, 65, said - although the funds were welcome - he remained unconvinced.

“Anything we get extra is welcome, but whether it’s going to be enough to cover the added expenses remains to be seen,” Mr Bickford said. “I think they should review the increase in six months’ time and see if another increase will be warranted.”

Mr Bickford is president of Grandparents As Parents Again.

He and his wife Sandra are members of Grandparents Relatives and Kinship Carer Alliance.

“Most pensioners rent and with water, power and probably some foods going up, other things will,” Mr Bickford said.

While his wife, Sandra, 64, will not receive the payment, she said it was a good idea.

“I just hope people put the money into electricity,” she said. “Some people don’t worry about it until the bill arrives, but it’s great that they get something.”

Lyne MP Rob Oakeshott said of the 150 electorates in Australia, Lyne received the most extra payments.

Pensioners in the region received a total of $7.5 million, Mr Oakeshott said.

Payments to pensioners also will increase from March next year under the scheme, providing a total of $338 each year to singles and $510 to couples.

“Pensioners are among the most vulnerable because they have the least flexible household budgets and are understandably most challenged by a more flexible economy,” Mr Oakeshott said. “The increases in pension rates are an acknowledgement of this challenge.”

About 3.2 million pensioners across Australia received the payments this week.

The federal government forecasts the payments will include a buffer of more than 20 per cent against the expected effect of the carbon price.

Mr Oakeshott reminded self-funded retirees to update their details with Centrelink if they did not want to miss out on the compensation package.

Eligible self-funded retirees will receive their payment from June 25, along with a quarterly seniors’ supplement.

This week’s payments are in addition to the pension rises that came in to effect on March 20.