Families Minister Jenny Macklin earns $6000 a week, but says she could manage on the Newstart allowance of around $250 a week.

When the Minister was asked whether she could survive on the $35 a day Newstart allowance now slapped on single parent families, she answered "I could."

But could she really?

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Rent on a one bedroom flat in Macklin's suburb costs $20 more than the entire single parents' Newstart scheme she's put 80,000 single mums and dads on.

But those struggling parents live a long way from Macklin's manicured neighbourhood - they take anywhere they can survive on the $246 a week payment.

$35 a week doesn't look like much, and it's an embarrassing challenge for Macklin once you crunch the numbers.

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Cabinet Ministers get an annual salary of almost $330,000, which amounts to more than $6000 a week before tax.

On top of this Ministers get more than $50,000 in superannuation payments.

Last year Macklin spent almost $61,000 of taxpayer funds on a Commonwealth car to chauffeur her to and from work. She also received more than $34,000 for spending 122 nights away from home.

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She spent $100,000 mailing out newsletters and brochures to her electorate, and when it all gets too much and Macklin retires, she'll be able to fly around Australia up to ten times free per year for the rest of her life.

So how would she survive on $35 a day?

We offered Macklin the opportunity to expand on her claims she could live on welfare, twice asking if she would come in for an interview. While her chair remains empty, the offer remains open.