New ZealandOne-night-stand penalty may be wipedA brief liaison with a man she didn't know cost a young Auckland woman $28 a week off her benefit for two years.14 Sep 08:32 PM
New ZealandTighter rules cut 20,000 out of student allowancesMore than 20,000 students are missing out on student allowances because of tighter eligibility rules since 2010, a new report says.02 Aug 06:22 AM
OpinionMichael Timmins: Why do we fail our children?The In Work Tax Credit fails children and is a policy that cannot be justified, writes Michael Timmins. Its operation is so complicated and ultimately punitive in that its costs outweigh any supposed benefits.26 Feb 01:24 AM
OpinionMichael Timmins: Children at the heart of better policyThe Government's 2015 Budget had at its centerpiece a push towards "compassionate conservatism", writes Michael Timmins. While more compassion is indeed welcome, the end result is mere tokenism.31 Aug 01:41 AM
New ZealandChild poverty: Still work to be doneA group which campaigns against child poverty says while it is heartening to see an increase in beneficiary incomes for the first time in over 40 years, there is still work to be done.21 May 10:41 PM
New ZealandWarning against tax cutsChild poverty campaigners say the Budget has “broken the mould” of austerity – but say any fiscal surpluses in the next few years should be used to relieve the country’s unjust “social deficit”, not to cut taxes.21 May 09:54 PM
New ZealandMum can't afford medicineAn 8-year-old Manurewa boy is one of 11,000 disabled children to lose a welfare benefit, even though his asthma is so bad that he missed one in every four school days.19 Mar 06:08 AM
OpinionInnes Asher: Low-income families' safety net needs repairThe latest figures show nearly one quarter of our 1.1 million children under 18 live in households with very low incomes after housing costs.18 Dec 08:30 PM
OpinionLucy Lawless: Hungry children - the hidden tollWe are already paying for the offspring of poverty, writes Lucy Lawless. Hungry kids are sick kids - so feeding them in schools is a smart strategy.11 Sep 09:30 PM
New ZealandChild poverty marchA "poverty of benevolence within the corridors of power" was denounced today as crowds marched to raise awareness of child poverty in New Zealand.06 Sep 02:36 AM
New ZealandAction on child poverty wanted - but...A new poll on child poverty has found most Kiwis want more done to fix the problem - but not if it meant paying higher taxes.04 Sep 09:40 PM
New ZealandTravelling beneficiaries' payments cutMore than 21,000 beneficiaries have had their benefits cut for going on unapproved overseas trips in the last nine months.02 Apr 11:34 PM
OpinionEmily Keddell: When carrots are actually sticksOur minimum wage is so low about 40 per cent of children living in poverty are not living in beneficiary families, but have low-wage-earning parents, writes Emily Keddell.07 Nov 08:30 PM
New Zealand13,000 parents' benefits cutAlmost 13,000 parents with dependent children have had their benefits cut for failing work tests in the first 2 years after sole parents first had to look for work.22 Oct 04:30 PM
New ZealandVoters support extension of tax creditsJust over half of voters support extending Working for Families in-work tax credits of at least $60 a week to beneficiaries.29 Jul 05:30 PM
New ZealandZero-interest loans to help poor familiesA group of Auckland charities have quietly started lending money at zero interest rates to low-income families in a pilot project which may drive loan sharks out.16 Dec 04:30 PM
OpinionGathering of data crucial to enrich livesGood policies require good information, not prejudices and ill-informed judgments expressed from the sideline, writes Michael O'Brien.15 Oct 08:30 PM
TaxGareth Morgan's big tax ideaAfter motorbiking round the world and saving Happy Feet, economist Gareth Morgan wants to revolutionise our tax and welfare system. Andrew Laxon asks him why.30 Sep 04:30 PM
OpinionTapu MisaTapu Misa: Cuts hurt kids instead of making parents workWhy is the idea of helping poor children so difficult to sell in a country with a supposed 'socialist streak'?04 Sep 05:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Hunger in land of milk and honeyThe causes of increased poverty, and the growth of school food programmes go back to National's big benefit cuts of 1991.26 Jul 05:30 PM
New ZealandOur hungry kids: 40,000 NZ kids fed by charitiesSchool principals say the number of pupils turning up for breakfast is increasing daily, despite the collapse of one of the two main breakfast programmes...24 Jul 05:30 PM
