Disability pensioners claim they have been discriminated against by the federal government in its response to the coronavirus pandemic, with one young Sydney man saying he is on the verge of homelessness.

A coalition of advocacy groups is demanding the government include people receiving the disability support pension on the fortnightly $550 COVID-19 supplement following the exclusion of disabled people and their carers, despite welfare recipients such as those on JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and Austudy being eligible.

Brendan Brest, 22, says he can barely survive on the disability support pension after losing his job because of the COVID-19 crisis. Credit:Kate Geraghty

Brendan Brest, 22, who lives with a mental health disability, said he worked his way up from a life on the streets to living in transitional housing, with a view to moving into private, shared accommodation.

He was also climbing the ranks with his job at an airline when the crisis struck, seeing him stood down and unable to move out.