Latest from Ministry of Social Development
Axe over beneficiary aid service
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.
Record numbers on benefit
Paula Bennett's reputation for being tough on beneficiaries is in jeopardy as figures reveal record high numbers on state financial support.
Bennett trumpets 5000 fewer on DPB
The number of sole parents on the domestic purposes benefit dropped by 5000 last year - a drop Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is attributing partly to her new policy requiring sole parents to get jobs when their youngest child turns five.
Privacy rights less secure than you think
To be a truly free and democratic society there must be respect for the autonomy of individuals, writes Tim McBride. and limits on the activities of both state and private agencies which may intrude on that autonomy.
Sacked govt worker wins job back
A government employee who was sacked after she accessed client records of Facebook 'friends' has won her job back until a full hearing can be held next year.
Ministry vows to fix flaws
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.
New MSD kiosks to roll out in May
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.
Charles Waldegrave and Bob Stephens: Counting the true costs of poverty trap
Two important points appear to be missing from the debate about child poverty.
Hunger striker has my respect - Bennett
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.
Pensioner's dark secret
An eighty-three-year-old's theft of almost $215,000 in benefit payments was only uncovered when she was seriously injured in a crash with a fuel tanker.
Benefit cheat stole $91,000
A Masterton woman who defrauded Work and Income of $91,000 was yesterday sentenced to home detention and community work.
Winz security flaw existed for 13 years
Computer terminals used for 13 years by job seekers at Winz offices had the same security flaw as the self-service kiosks at the centre of the major privacy breach.
Benefit fraud lasted 15 years
A Rotorua man has admitted benefit fraud which lasted more than 15 years.
Winz security process 'atrocious'
Paula Bennett says she is embarrassed by the "atrocious'' performance of Winz staff who twice failed to react to warnings over public computer kiosks.
Another Winz privacy breach revealed
Another Work and Income related privacy breach has come to light, following three already revealed this week.
Bennett: privacy failures 'one-off'
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says there is not a systemic problem with privacy at Work and Income NZ.
Government shuts kiosks
The Ministry of Justice has shut down its computer kiosks just days after security issues were uncovered on the Ministry of Social Development's public computers.
Govt fighting fires on several fronts
There will undoubtedly be some gardening leave on offer soon at the Ministry of Social Development, writes political commentator Bryce Edwards.
Commissioner: Govt must repair damage
The State Services Commissioner says the Winz security failure has breached any trust Kiwis had in the Govt and has ordered a review of publicly-accessible systems.
Key on Winz privacy breach
Prime Minister John Key has called for a full review following the privacy breach at Winz, where sensitive files were found on publicly accessed self-service computers in two of Wellington's Winz branches.
Winz breach: Key calls for full review
Prime Minister John Key has called for a Government-wide review of online information after the Government's largest security breach.