The number of young people aged 20 to 24 with no income almost trebled between 1996 and 2006, according to new figures.

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.