The Children's Commissioner says it's about time benefits rose in line with wages - but the increase does not go far enough. 

Benefits will increase by more than three percent from April, linked to the net average wage rather than inflation.

Sole parents will get almost $10.50 more a week, nearly twice the increase they would have otherwise got this year.

Andrew Becroft told Kate Hawkesby benefits should be treated like superannuation, which goes up as wages go up.

"If there's growth in the country, both superannuation and benefits for children reflect that growth and keep in step."

He says  benefits haven't kept pace with wages and economic growth.

"Poor children were the ones that missed out. You could argue that growth has been at the expense of children, so keeping them locked in to wage growth is the right thing to do."

However, Becroft says there's a lot of damage to make up, since benefits were slashed in the 90s.

"The Government's own welfare expert advisory group said benefits would need to increase between 12 to 47 per cent, depending on the benefit, to make up that damage."

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• Government announces larger-than-usual increases for social welfare benefits