Police lingered as the pair walked down the aisle to Madonna's Material Girl, shook hands instead of kissing, and a guest interjected: "three cheers for Centrelink".

There was rain on their wedding day, but the couple didn't seem to mind.

Because despite exchanging one lolly ring, the pair won't be tied in faux matrimony bliss forever - just until they turn 22.

The National Union of Students arranged the fake "welfare wedding" to protest the age of independence for Youth Allowance.

Students and even Greens staffers have married for Centrelink money, National Students Union president Georgie Beatty said.

"We've heard directly from those students," she said.

Fake father of bride Ebony and real union welfare officer Billy Zimmerman said young students were skipping meals to finish their studies.

"It's really just a crisis of cost of living for everyone, but for students without support, they just struggle to survive," he said.

Jobseekers aged 16 to 22 can only access Youth Allowance if they are looking for full-time work.

That is unless they are married, in a de-facto relationship, have a child, or have worked full-time for 18 months or part-time for two years.

The Services Australia website says, "you're not independent just because you don't live with your parents [or] they don't support you."

However, someone over 22 who lives at home can access $367 a fortnight.

Wedding guest and Greens spokesperson for youth MP Stephen Bates said while he didn't recommend getting married to access welfare, young people had no choice.

"I don't think it's the best thing to do, but people are being forced to make that decision," he said.

"People have to get married because they feel like that's the only way they can access support, and the only way that they can get out of poverty."

Mr Bates said the government should axe stage three tax cuts and increase taxes on mining and resources industries to pay for increased social security payments.

A day after passing down his first budget on October 25, Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers said indexation would increase some payments.

"There's a $33 billion increase in the budget when it comes to payments and pensions as a consequence largely of indexation," he said.

FEDERAL POLITICS:

"And when inflation is high, the indexation is relatively high.

"I know people would like more than that ... [but] it's kicking in extra for people who are some of these payments."

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