SUPPORT for Julia Gillard has plunged following last week's federal Budget and the Government's announcement of a deal with Malaysia to handle boat arrivals.

According to the latest Newspoll, Labor is experiencing the worst reaction to a Budget in almost 20 years, since the budget that preceded Paul Keating's defeat as Prime Minister.

And Ms Gillard's standing is lower than Kevin Rudd's when his party dumped him as Prime Minister last year.

Asked how last Tuesday's Budget would affect their finances, 41 per cent of respondents said they were worse off. Only 11 per cent said they were better off.

Satisfaction with Ms Gillard as Prime Minister is now at 34 per cent, down from 38 per cent before the Budget - a record low for her.

On the issue of who would make a better Prime Minister, Ms Gillard fell to a new low of 42 per cent, and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott rose to a new high of 38 per cent.

The Newspoll survey, conducted over the weekend for The Australian, shows that the Coalition's primary vote has risen to a six-year high of 46 per cent; Labor's remains unchanged on 33 per cent.

The Coalition now enjoys a two-party preferred lead of 54 to 46.

The Government fared no better in a Nielsen poll.

Labor trails the Coalition 44-56 per cent; Mr Abbott's approval has risen to 44 per cent as preferred PM, against Ms Gillard at 47 per cent.

Nearly six in 10 people disapprove of the people-swapping deal with Malaysia, while more than eight in 10 polled by Nielsen thought it would make no difference or increase arrivals. Of those who back it, seven in 10 still don't believe it will work.

On the Budget, 42 per cent thought it "fair".

Respondents were evenly divided at 44 per cent when asked if they were satisfied with it.

Asked why she was having trouble communicating her message, the Prime Minister said she got the message out "as best we can. We've explained this Budget up hill and down dale and we will continue to do so".

Speaking to the ABC, Ms Gillard said she did not concern herself with "day-to-day political plays".

"I'm there, out delivering the policies this nation needs ... if you like, I'm there as the architect as we're building the nation," she said.

The bad news for Ms Gillard follows her promise yesterday that the $2 billion freeze on family payments would be temporary.

The indexation freeze is expected to cost families an average of about $20 in 2011-12, but could be worth up to $800 in 2012-13 and $600 the following year.