A woman who wanted to flee Christchurch after becoming embroiled with a gang and set fire in her own flat has been jailed for more than four years.

Work and Income has ordered a refugee mother with a 5-month-old baby to attend a seminar

Nearly a third of employees who find work, partly thanks to a Government subsidy for their employers, are not kept on once the money runs out.

The Government claims it has detected thousands of welfare fraudsters, though Labour is questioning how many have actually committed fraud.

Youth services are meant to be the model for transforming our welfare system from "gatekeeping" to "coaching" but results so far in Papakura are patchy.

Young beneficiaries share their experiences of work requirements. Intended to be 'motivational' some say staff are 'pushy' and 'racist'.

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

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

Prisoners in privately run Mt Eden Corrections Facility were able to access the internet through faulty computer kiosks a security review of public sector computer systems has found.

A review of Government information systems' security found weak points in 12 agencies which have now been addressed.

A man sentenced to two months in prison begged a judge to keep him locked up for an extra day so he could pocket a $350 Winz grant.

A couple alleged to have ripped off taxpayers for $375,000 in Work and Income payments have been allowed to keep their names secret for now.

An immigration fraudster stripped of his citizenship and barred from New Zealand owes taxpayers more than $150,000.

Long-awaited rain is forecast for the drought-hit Northland region, with showers expected in some areas over the weekend.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has defended his decision to stay with a trade delegation in South America rather than returning home to contend with the drought.

An advocacy service helping beneficiaries, believed to be the only one of its kind in Auckland, may have to shut after running for 22 years, following a cut in government funding.

Fuelled by the highest rate of unemployment in 13 years, the queues snaking along the pavements outside the Auckland City Mission have nothing festive about them.

Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff has described the Ministry of Social Development as a "megastore of personal details" which needs to lift its game to ensure confidence in the public sector is not harmed.

The Ministry of Social Development is set to roll out new public computers from May next year to replace the kiosks closed after a security hole was revealed in October.

A British family who have lived in New Zealand for seven years face deportation because the father has a brain tumour.

Two important points appear to be missing from the debate about child poverty.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says she left a meeting with hunger striker Sam Kuha with respect for the man and his passion for the problem of child poverty.

Redundant worker Kimberley Inu has won more than a month's backpay after Work and Income's call centre mistakenly told her she could not get the dole.

A Masterton woman who defrauded Work and Income of $91,000 was yesterday sentenced to home detention and community work.