More than 100,000 young people a year will be forced to survive without unemployment payments for at least six months under the Abbott government's controversial welfare changes.

A breakdown of the Abbott government's own budget figures, provided to Fairfax Media, reveals it expects nearly 110,000 young people a year to be without work for six months and to be then moved on to a new work for the dole program.

Under the new rules, unemployed people under 30 will have to wait six months before receiving benefits. They would then undertake six months of work for the dole and be paid to do so. If they fail to find work or study during that period they would then face another six months without payments.

The move is expected to save the government $1.2 billion over four years and will apply to new claimants from next year, with some exceptions.