More than 2800 needy children are already being sponsored by the charity Variety's Kiwi Kids scheme, launched in 2013, and a further 600 are on its waiting list.

A second wife in a polygamous may be regarded as a solo parent and entitled to a solo-parent benefit.

Papakura High School has a falling roll, and as far as results go, it's among the worst schools in the country. But there is hope.

Ruthless, reckless and surging rage: a mother details the struggle of looking after the severely autistic daughter she later killed.

Helping someone in an emergency? Yes. Helping someone for a lifetime? No. Enough is enough.

An Auckland beneficiary is protesting this morning as she fights eviction from the two-bedroom state home she's lived in for 21 years.

How likely young New Zealanders are to be "on track" at age 21 has been mapped using a powerful government database.

The 'Family First' group has put an interesting idea into debate for this election year.

Almost 60 per cent of Kiwis want subsidies for stay-at-home parents introduced, according to a new poll conducted by Family First.

A survey which revealed access problems to the child disability allowance has raised more questions than answers.

The Labour Party is by no means alone in worrying what to do about 74,000 young people who are in neither employment, education or training.

Despite feeding her family on a tight budget, this Porirua mum is changing lives with her food parcel initiative.

Minister Anne Tolley says the UN Rights of the Child committee in Geneva asked her 250 questions but only one on child poverty.

COMMENT: To reduce inequality, politicians need to ensure Maori views are not frozen out by mono-cultural agencies and majority decisions.

COMMENT: Set up support networks and make sure that local addiction recovery services are available. If not, agitate for them.

COMMENT: The challenge is how do we improve employment opportunities for our intellectually disabled people?

Vulnerable children will be placed in foster care more quickly, and their foster parents will get more flexible pay, under law changes outlined today.

COMMENT: The rewrite of the Social Security Act is a good time to abolish the sanctions altogether.

Retirement has become an outdated concept for 140,000 New Zealanders who have reached 65 and are still clocking in to work.

Retirement used to be synonymous with receiving National Superannuation. Not any more.

COMMENT: Heart-breaking stories of families living in cars, garages and overcrowded houses demonstrate that our welfare state is broken, writes Catriona MacLennan.

The Government will pay beneficiaries $3000 to move to cities such as Auckland for work.

Society's most vulnerable will receive a $650 million funding boost spanning health, welfare and education services aimed at helping those at-risk "lead better lives".

"I'm so frustrated," Tony Lepage said. "Our Government is spending $26 million on the flag - $26 million would be swallowed up for the homeless in a week".

An 81-year-old man who has been on welfare for 29 years has had his benefit stopped because Winz has belatedly decided that he didn't meet residency requirements.

COMMENT: Tale of two women: tax credit system leaves those without a partner for support at an unfair disadvantage.

The Labour Party appears to be considering a radical new system of social welfare. It is hard to see any real benefit. It would be a universal setback.

Taxpayers' Union says Labour Party plans for "universal basic income" will come with hefty price tag.

Rising rents are believed to be driving a 46 per cent jump in food parcels being handed out each month by the Auckland City Mission since the middle of last year.