Latest fromSocial Welfare
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Former top cop ready to shake-up spending on social services
Andrew Coster sees his role as building a fence at the top of the cliff.
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Labour claims ‘cover-up’ as weekly reporting on benefit numbers cancelled
Minister Louise Upston has directed her officials to stop publishing weekly updates.
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Richard Prebble: Will the Government's Social Investment Fund work?
OPINION: We need a new approach.
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Social worker assigned to three children fathers baby with their mother
Oranga Tamariki worker loses licence and is fined $22k for inappropriate relationship.
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Benefit sanctions up, hardship assistance payments down: What the latest social welfare data tells us
Sanctions for people not meeting benefit requirements up 133%.
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‘Mean-spirited’: Labour attacks Govt decision on hardship assistance for sanctioned beneficiaries
MSD recommended beneficiaries on non-financial sanctions have access to hardship payments.
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Early data shows most beneficiaries with obligations meeting requirements
Almost 6000 have received red or orange warnings.
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‘A tough time for New Zealanders’: Jobseeker benefit numbers jump 12% in a year
Govt says numbers will get worse before they get better.
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$1.2m per apartment: New Kāinga Ora build part of billion dollar scandal, developer says
Ockham Residential developer says cost of public housing builds is national embarrassment.
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Nicola Willis’ passion project: What does the Social Investment Agency do?
The minister's commonsense approach: 'prevention is better than cure'.
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Two years, little action: Slow progress on child safety reforms years after Malachi Subecz's murder
Two months since a scathing report, there is no update on how to better care for NZ kids.
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Letters: Child poverty is a social and economic disaster
OPINION: 'Why don’t we have a war on poverty instead of building bigger prisons?'
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The $3b child poverty price tag: Why the minister's not writing that cheque
Official advice shows it would cost $3b a year to meet the child poverty goals.
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Govt wants jobseeker beneficiaries cut by 50k, but forecasts are up 11k
The Government says it wants beneficiary numbers to fall, but they continue to rise.
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Tenant fights for Kainga Ora to pay after home damaged in storm
Tenants of State homes damaged in floods say they should have been told the house was on a flood plain because of the potential risk.
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Beneficiaries first in queue: New targets for $1.1 billion employment support
Govt believes much of the funding for schemes should be reserved for beneficiaries.
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Letters: A spreadsheet Govt with little humanity; bring back traffic cops
OPINION: 'That is the only way this Government is going to lower the crime rate.'
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Audrey Young: Government on track for post-Olympic policy sprint
OPINION: Also in this week's wrap – the PM's embarrassing benefit blunders.
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Benefit traffic light system: What you need to know
Government announced new traffic light scheme, additional system changes.
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Govt opponents slam benefit sanction traffic light system
PM says there'll be “no more excuses” for beneficiaries not knowing their obligations.
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'No more excuses' – Govt announces beneficiary traffic light system
The PM outlined the harsh new penalties under a traffic light system in Auckland today.