There is no evidence from other countries that making young people wait a month for the dole will actually get them into work, government officials have admitted.
A plan by the federal government to make under 25s wait one month, and parents one week, for the dole was strongly opposed by social services groups at a Senate inquiry on Wednesday.
But the Department of Social Services told the inquiry it's the federal government's belief that young people should be encouraged to look for work in the first instance, rather than turning to welfare.
Greens senator Rachel Siewert pressed officials for evidence as to why they think the plan will be successful.
Cath Halbert from the department cited a policy in New Zealand where young people complete pre-benefit activities, but said the two can't be directly compared.
"We don't have evidence that's directly comparable to this particular policy," she conceded.
The nation's peak welfare body and the council for single mothers earlier raised concerns about the impact on women affected by domestic violence.
The Australian Council of Social Service believes the "punitive" legislation before federal parliament will result in some women falling through the cracks.
While there are waiting exemptions for those affected by domestic violence, the council says very few women admit to being victims.
Any waiting period could delay them from fleeing violent relationships because they have no money, putting them and their children in danger, it said.
The Council for Single Mothers and their Children fears exemptions for vulnerable women may not be properly managed.
"We are concerned ... there will be some very vulnerable families suffering because of that process," chief executive Terese Edwards told the hearing.
Meanwhile, it's been revealed thousands of young people face waiting longer than others to get the dole.
The social services department estimates that 10,000 youths will wait 10 weeks, instead of four, over a 12-month period. These are those who worked in the first six months of the year but then became jobless because of casual or short-term work and have to apply again.
The four-week wait stretches to five when an existing mandatory one-week wait for welfare is taken into account, the hearing was also told.
Social workers argued vulnerable youth will be further traumatised if they're forced to go through more hurdles to get payments.
DOLE WAIT:
* 75,000 people will wait four weeks a year.
* 10,000 will wait about 10 weeks every year.
* 83,000 claims for Youth Allowance will be exempt from waiting every year.
* $8.1 million extra money reserved over three years for emergency relief.
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