Families-based social services initiative Whanau Ora will receive $134.3 million in funding over the next four years, Prime Minister John Key announced today.

Winz staff told a woman with a university bachelor degree to "dumb down" her CV before applying for jobs.

Paula Bennett lauded a professor she appointed to a welfare reform group - then confused him with a namesake with wildly opposing views.

The Govt has cancelled pumping $430m into superannuation, tax credits and benefits that would have, in effect, been compensation for higher tobacco taxes.

Paula Bennett has denied she offered money to a beneficiary who laid a privacy complaint against her.

Australian Opposition leader Tony Abbott is considering banning the dole for the under-30s.

Australia's Opposition Leader says cutting the dole for people under 30 would reduce the need for skilled migrants to staff mines.

The govt-appointed Welfare Working Group will consider unemployment insurance among options for reforming the social security system.

The Maori Party's flagship policy is a step closer - but major details still have to be sorted out.

Tariana Turia is to be the minister in charge of implementing the Whanau Ora policy - potentially the biggest shake-up of the welfare system in decades.

Winz has started bumping people off the invalids benefit, months before new work tests officially come into force, beneficiary advocates say.

John Armstrong writes that the backbone displayed by Brownlee and Bennett will please the National traditionalists, but we'll have to watch it bend again in election year.