Under the federal government's economic stimulus package, pensioners are eligible for two separate payments of $750, to aid in economic recovery during the pandemic.

But, John Hunter, co-ordinator of the NSW/ACT Australian Aged Pensions Group, said it would not go far enough to ensure financial security in the future.

"There's been no increase in our pensions while we're experiencing increases in food. We expected that after the bushfires, but what we're seeing is inordinate increase at the moment, and that's what people aren't coping with," said the Junee local.

Mr Hunter advocated for another $200 a week to be added to the pension.

"Personally, my usual $20 to $30 shop at Aldi has become $50 to $70 at the moment, and it's not just pensioners that are struggling with that," Mr Hunter said.

Meanwhile, those living off self-managed superannuation funds have not been allocated any federal money, despite being reliant on a rapidly shifting stock market.

Wayne Strandquist, president of the Association of Independent Retirees, said that in some cases, retirees have had their savings diminished "by up to 20 per cent" due to collapsing share prices.

For younger retirees aged up to 75 years, that has meant "retirement income streams reduced by up to 10 years", Mr Sandquist said.

Mr Hunter admitted this would take a significant toll on those still recovering from the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2007-08.

"We were all supposed to be building a super we could partly or fully live on when we retire, but there's no help for us to do it," he said.

"The GFC hit a lot of us. I was in Brisbane at the time, I lost two-thirds of my super fund, people who were my age - that is in their 50s and 60s - they have not recouped the difference."

Griffith chapter president of the Combined Pensioner and Superannuants Association (CPSA), Colin Beaton agrees the government should provide greater incentive to start up self-managed retirements.

He too lost a lot of money during the GFC.

"I had a roll-over fund, and just overnight I lost about 30 per cent of it," he said.

"It took me four years to get back to what it was. It will take an even longer time for people to get back to where they were before [coronavirus]."

Mr Beaton believes the situation will be profoundly devastating for retirees in the Riverina, with many relying on their supers following years of drought and struggle.

"There are a lot out here who are self-funded retirees because there's a lot of farming land and high assets that means they can't access the pension," he said.

"If you're living off your super, you have to take a long-term view and that means you can take some big hits. But I'm not sure they can make it back with the time they've got."

Recognising that the experience of every retiree will be unique during this time, Uranquinty-based secretary of Sunset Probus, Christine Stewart advocates for an equitable means test before any government hand-outs be offered.

"It would be crazy to give everyone the same amount when only some may need it, [though] it would be a massive undertaking to means test everyone." Ms Stewart said.

"The nature of super is it goes up and down. There's not much you can do about it, and it is recovering slowly at the moment but then it may still go zooming down again."