Latest from Social Welfare

Fears addicts may face longer wait time

Drug and alcohol addicts may face longer waiting times for treatment.

Job hunting replaces focus on benefits

Sickness will be at best only a temporary excuse to avoid work under the new welfare regime that came into force this week.

Daycare worker better off on benefit

Going back to work left Jan Berry either $23 or $40 a week worse off than she was on a benefit.

Welfare now has health warning

Doctors have been told that putting patients on welfare is akin to putting them on "an addictive debilitating drug ... not dissimilar to smoking".

Pressure on for mum of 3 to find a job

Three children under 5 and a sick husband didn't save Carla Bradley from being told to prepare for work.

Cull 'pushing vulnerable off the books'

An welfare advocacy group is warning that thousands of Kiwis will suffer under newly implemented changes to the beneficiary system.

Harsher rules net solo dad with four kids

Even being the sole carer for triplets can't excuse Jared Chase from work obligations under the new welfare regime.

What welfare changes mean for parents

Sole parents have got a clear message from today's welfare upheaval - planning to go back to work has to start from the moment a baby is born.

Mike Lee: Begging bylaw step toward social responsibility

Hopefully the agreed provisions in the bylaw for socially responsible intervention to deal with the problem of begging will remain intact. writes Mike Lee.

Solo father thrives after finding job

With four children, solo father Jamie le Bas has the odds stacked against him.

Changes to child support signed off

The biggest changes to the child support system in more than 20 years have been signed off in Parliament today and will come into place in April next year.

Family told to control autistic children

A family with three autistic children have been told they need to manage their children's behaviour if they want to get a state house.

Storm rages over UK welfare cuts

Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, will launch a scathing attack on churches and charities that oppose the Government's welfare cuts.

Susan St John: Let's have policies for all children

Child poverty is not a party political issue; it is a moral and ethical issue, writes Susan St John. "It may have been possible some time ago to bury our heads in the sand and ignore the prevalence of child poverty in NZ."

Tobacco rise out of benefit increase

Welfare benefits will go up by just 0.61 per cent from April 1 because the Government has decided not to give beneficiaries any compensation for higher cigarette prices.

Group still getting cash - Bennett

Benefit fraud tops $23m in record year

Identity fraudsters "systematically and methodically" stole more than $500,000 in benefit scams before being caught last year.

Editorial: What about partners of business cons?