Latest from Ministry of Social Development

Rents 'skyrocket' while millions is spent on emergency housing

Millions of dollars is being spent on emergency housing as Rotorua rents skyrocket.

'Evil' pension policy to be abolished

Pensioners have been waiting a long time for the spousal deduction policy to be dropped.

Parnell problems: 'Fighting, drinking, abusive' deportees causing 'havoc'

Deportees and troubled souls housed at a Parnell lodge are causing 'havoc' for residents

Growing Up in NZ gets funding boost

The study tracks 6800 Kiwi kids from 12 weeks before birth to 21 years old.

CEO admits 'mistake' in employing blind worker on $2.30/h

But parents of disabled employees want current wage exemptions scheme kept

Hīkoi for Homeless solved the crisis or created a new one?

Leaders reflect one year on: "There is still so much to be done."

Budget: Welfare increase 'not enough'

Change to welfare payments applauded, but an urgent increase still needed, advocates say.

Unhealthy homes: Mould, leaks, disease making people dangerously sick

Since Healthy Homes began in Rotorua in 2014 it has responded to more than 830 referrals.

Child-poverty targets just got tougher to reach

Latest figures reveal the Govt has a bigger task ahead of it than previously believed.

$3.4m error: 25,000 wrongly get winter energy payment

MSD has admitted 25,000 people were mistakenly paid the entitlement, costing $3.4m

Whangārei man turned down job by Air NZ over tā moko

"To have Air New Zealand call it body art made me feel shit for being Māori."

Only 1 in 4 new public housing places in Auckland are new builds

The Government is "cannibalising" affordable houses for public housing, NGOs say.

Meet the hardest working foster parents in NZ

They haven't had a sleep-in since 1982, and they've changed more than 100,000 nappies.

Staff at three depts had Barry complaints

Details of conduct criticisms about former minister will remain secret.

Makeshift village for homeless sparks backlash from other residents

Tauranga church property turned into a makeshift village for a 24 homeless people

Brian Fallow: Give fair pay a go

Comment: Too often, workers are caught in a race to the bottom.