"Abusive or threatening behaviour towards frontline staff is treated very seriously. Staff report all incidents to the security guard in their office and enter the incident in the ministry's incident reporting database."
She said the figures showed a steady increase in serious verbal threats made to Work and Income staff nationwide, but represented less than one per cent of the total number of working age benefit recipients which at June 30, 2013 was 309,782.
Ministry of Social Development chief executive Brendan Boyle said there were security protocols in place at all sites.
"Obviously we will be looking at what else might be needed in these extreme situations."
Some people commenting on the Rotorua Daily Post Facebook page said the changes to benefit policies would result in more violent incidents.
"After reading about the suspect's struggle and seeing there is a strong record of him asking for help, I was shocked. Something needs to change, but it's not the security. Put things back to the way it was and see the mental health rate drop," one said.
But others said there needed to be more security at Work and Income and they wouldn't want their family members working there.
"I think that privacy and security in Winz is a must. Case managers and clients should be in glass cubicles not spread out in the open," said another.
