A beneficiary has been awarded more than $20,000 after Housing New Zealand was found to have been over-collecting private information about him.

The Ministry of Social Development has signalled a need to “explore options relating to the age of eligibility” for NZ superannuation, and wants a review of benefit rates to tackle child poverty.

Nearly 100 jobs are set to go at Work and Income - but the government says even more new roles will be created.

Bill English's masterplan to radically "reform" the Labour-initiated, octogenarian state housing scheme has all the hallmarks of being ideological for ideology's sake.

A public servant is under investigation over allegations that he said beneficiaries were "stupid" for having children.

A further 3500 young people on welfare could have their spending tightly controlled by an adult supervisor if National is re-elected.

The Government is to extend its control of spending by young beneficiaries to all teen parents and many 18 and 19-year-olds.

A Hastings woman who died following an overdose made two calls to emergency helplines that went unanswered before her death.

An Auckland mother with terminal cancer who is sharing a two-bedroom flat with her four sons is worried they won't cope in the small space as her condition deteriorates.

A single parents' group says "a complete change of mindset" has helped reduce the number of people on the sole parent benefit to the lowest level in more than 20 years.

Beneficiary advocates say Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is unfairly trying to paint beneficiaries as extravagant after she disclosed how many had benefits suspended for unapproved trips abroad.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is naturally happy to attribute a big reduction in the state's welfare liability to the Government's efforts.

Of 8,001 beneficiaries sent for jobs requiring drug testing, only 22 tested positive or refused to take tests, a result that has been greeted as a victory by the Social Development Minister.

NZ's child abuse rates are higher than anyone ever realised, officials admit, after bureaucrats bungled the numbers for more than two years.

New powers allowing welfare officials to secretly approach beneficiaries' banks or workplaces if they suspected them of committing fraud are being questioned.

Former residents of a home for troubled kids have launched a $500,000 lawsuit against the Govt for claims of physical and sexual abuse.

Nearly 100 beneficiaries on the run from police have had their welfare cut in the six weeks since the policy was introduced, says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

A major law change which will introduce compulsory security screening of up to 376,000 people working with children has been unanimously backed in Parliament.

Crusading doco-maker Bryan Bruce returns to TV screens this week to claim that New Zealand's middle class is subsidising the rich and the poor through a terrible tax burden.

The amount fines and reparations owed has dropped to the lowest level in almost a decade.

Funding for talk therapy is drying up just as increasing numbers of Kiwis are feeling comfortable talking about their problems.

An Auckland teenager who has spent much of his life in state care is warning poor quality caregivers are responsible for filling our jails with criminals.

A doctor's certificate is often a ticket to social welfare. From this week it becomes a recipe for work. At least - that's the hope.

Mentally ill people will be moved off state-funded benefits and into work using private employment agencies who will earn hefty fees for the service.

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.