Gaps between New Zealand's main ethnic groups are closing for our youngest citizens - but remain deeply entrenched on many indicators for older children and adults.

If the issue of inequality and poverty is to loom large in this election year there are a couple of cherished beliefs on both sides of politics that need to surrender to evidence, writes Brian Fallow.

Homeless families like first-time mum Lydia Mataiti and her newborn baby will find it harder to find shelter after the closure of one of Auckland's handful of emergency houses.

Crime is at a 34-year low, incomes and employment are rising and teenage pregnancy has plunged, a new report on the state of our nation shows.

'We've been absolutely clear in all the materials.' David Cunliffe has defended against accusations he mislead the public over his $60 baby bonus.

Prime Minister John Key has accused Labour leader David Cunliffe of "misleading New Zealanders" over the $60-a-week child payment scheme.

Labour's $60-a-week child payment scheme may produce less work and more babies, economists say.

David Cunliffe's "baby bonus" is a nifty Trojan horse that will do more for Labour's chances than the usual politically inspired and euphemistically labelled "kissing babies" exercise, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

This election year there will be claim and counter-claim from National and Labour about whether the recovering economy is a rising tide that will lift all boats.

In a UK first, shoppers in South Yorkshire are being offered food at up to 70 per cent of normal prices - but they have to prove they're on benefits to get the bargains.

A group of us went up to Kerikeri last weekend to run the Kerikeri Half Marathon.

The Government is looking at putting some teenagers who are already supported by welfare benefits into a flatting situation with a live-in mentor to prevent them going off the rails.

Editorial: Mayor Len Brown's pursuit of a policy that would see the Auckland Council pay the "living wage" to its staff has drawn a variety of objections.

Almost 13,000 parents with dependent children have had their benefits cut for failing work tests in the first 2 years after sole parents first had to look for work.

Fast-food giant McDonald's has been paid $272,000 by the Government to help unemployed people get back to work.

A caregiver who admitted defrauding the benefit system of more than $274,000 says she did it because she "believed that she was two separate people".

Just over half of voters support extending Working for Families in-work tax credits of at least $60 a week to beneficiaries.

When Robin Vinod turned 17, he couldn't sign a tenancy agreement or be responsible for bills - but that was when CYF left him to fend for himself.

We don't really see the street. Most of us don't even look. Kids look, as I'm about to find out, but we adults, most of us walk on by, our attention fixed on anything other than that dude over there

The Government claims it has detected thousands of welfare fraudsters, though Labour is questioning how many have actually committed fraud.

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.

Identification numbers attached to children as young as three could be used to track and punish their parents.

Youth services are meant to be the model for transforming our welfare system from "gatekeeping" to "coaching" but results so far in Papakura are patchy.

Young beneficiaries share their experiences of work requirements. Intended to be 'motivational' some say staff are 'pushy' and 'racist'.

Drug and alcohol addicts may face longer waiting times for treatment.

Sickness will be at best only a temporary excuse to avoid work under the new welfare regime that came into force this week.