Latest fromSocial Welfare

Nicola Willis on 2024, this year’s flat Budget and universal entitlements
The Finance Minister backs a call to look at targeting some currently universal benefits.

Opinion: How a culturally grounded approach is changing Pacific communities
'Champions of Change' lead vital conversations to prevent family harm.

Minimum wage rate to go up by 1.5% next year: Unions, EMA react
'Unfair and unequal' or suitable for a sluggish economy?

Estranged daughter awarded $372k after being cut from mother's will
The mother updated her will stipulating she was to be left nothing due to her 'behaviour'.

Cultural issues at Fire and Emergency NZ and replacement ferries due in 2029 | NZ Herald News Update
Cultural issues within Fire and Emergency NZ have been addressed and the Government has announced its plan for replacement ferries to begin service in 2029. Video / NZ Herald

Simon Wilson: Homeless teens, a missing bridge, and the great Aucklander we've lost
OPINION: Love this City, a weekly column about Auckland.

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.

Labour claims ‘cover-up’ as weekly reporting on benefit numbers cancelled
Minister Louise Upston has directed her officials to stop publishing weekly updates.

Richard Prebble: Will the Government's Social Investment Fund work?
OPINION: We need a new approach.

‘Mean-spirited’: Labour attacks Govt decision on hardship assistance for sanctioned beneficiaries
MSD recommended beneficiaries on non-financial sanctions have access to hardship payments.

Early data shows most beneficiaries with obligations meeting requirements
Almost 6000 have received red or orange warnings.

‘A tough time for New Zealanders’: Jobseeker benefit numbers jump 12% in a year
Govt says numbers will get worse before they get better.

$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.

Kāinga Ora board member slams Bill English review in resignation letter
Philippa Howden-Chapman served on Kāinga Ora’s board for six years.

PM 'not fully up to speed' on incident involving Aussie diplomat's partner
PM says what happened in Wellington is a matter for the police.

Nicola Willis’ passion project: What does the Social Investment Agency do?
The minister's commonsense approach: 'prevention is better than cure'.

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.

Letters: Child poverty is a social and economic disaster
OPINION: 'Why don’t we have a war on poverty instead of building bigger prisons?'

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.

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.

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.