I've accepted my fate lol- NattyEven though those that don't have a mortgage, and may have savings that will earn more interest, are they any better off when the price of everything is going up due to inflation ? If lucky, their finances may stay the same, no actual windfall from rising rates.- SamHonestly these continual interest rate hikes punish those that can least afford it He says the outcome will depend heavily on what happens in the Middle East and whether supply disruptions ease.The Australian newspaper reports this morning that the federal government is considering providing an "earned income offset" of between $200 and $300 for every person in Australia who gets a wage or salary and pays tax in next week's budget.Speaking on Channel Nine, Health Minister Mark Butler wouldn't confirm "unsourced speculation" about whether the government would take that to the next budget.Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson hasn't said whether the Coalition would support an earned income offset (essentially, a wage income tax cut)."The government is talking about giving a small sweetener when they've taken $30,000 a year of purchasing power off Australians," he says.You can keep track of developments over at the ABC federal politics live blog from our colleagues in Canberra.As our chief business correspondent Ian Verrender writes this morning, the RBA board is facing a choice between two evils today: recession or inflation.If there's any certainty about the Reserve Bank of Australia's interest rate verdict today, it's that it will be a split decision.The vast bulk of professional pundits have another rate hike pencilled in as almost a sure bet