Dita De Boni on how the welfare reforms might impact solo parents.

The Government has stepped in with an emergency wage subsidy for quake-stricken workers who aren't being paid.

The Govt will introduce mandatory automatic payments as it seeks to crack down on what is now $2b in overdue child support.

Peter Dunne's bill is unfair, unaffordable and unlikely to happen, writes Brian Fallow.

The country's Lions Clubs have struck a deal with the Reserve Bank to get the full value of defunct NZ coins, for charity.

A sole parent says she has lost a sixth of her bodyweight because she has not been able to eat properly since the Govt tightened access to training subsidies for beneficiaries.

Whether it's the boss or the bureaucrats, the answer's the same: mind your own business.

John Armstrong writes that the working group's prescription for change may be blinkered by ideology such as time limits.

A mother accused of murdering her baby said she felt "incapable" of looking after her children.

A CYF supervisor says an oversight meant a parental assessment was not carried out for a baby boy who was returned to his parents and allegedly drowned by his mother.

Dita De Boni wonders whether a food stamp scheme for those on low incomes could work in New Zealand.

The Govt is likely to continue with further reform aimed at reducing long-term welfare dependency, John Key says.