Latest fromSocial Welfare

Massive welfare overhaul proposed
Mothers with young babies and sick and disabled people on benefits would be forced to look for work under a proposed overhaul of NZ's welfare system, which would see all benefits replaced by a 'jobseeker payment'.

Key: Work-testing when child three makes sense
Prime Minister John Key says he is open to work-testing beneficiaries when their youngest child turns three.

Govt rules out cutting the dole
The Government won't consider reductions to main benefit levels including the sickness, invalid's, unemployment and domestic purposes benefits as part of any welfare overhaul recommended by the Welfare Working Group tomorrow.

GPs develop plan to get invalids off benefit
A consortium of North Shore doctors has a radical proposal to use health professionals to help sickness and invalid beneficiaries back to work.

Solo mother's plea for help over eviction
A solo mother of three children has been given 90 days notice by her landlord and Housing NZ won't open her file for two months.

Appeal on caregiver ruling disappoints commissioner
The Chief Human Rights Commissioner is 'deeply disappointed' the Crown is to appeal a High Court ruling on caregivers' rights.

'Xmas Scrooges' fight caregiver-pay ruling
The Ministry of Health is to appeal a court ruling that parents caring for disabled adult children are eligible for financial support.

Couple on torture charges lose bail
A nine-year-old with horrific injuries never wants to see her parents again, a court has heard.

Parents accused of torture appear in court
A couple accused of torturing their nine-year-old daughter appeared briefly in court this morning.

CYF: Dead girl's mum was trying to rid her life of violence
The mother of a girl, 5, found dead in her bed after an alleged assault was trying to escape violence in her life.