Beneficiaries
National promises to impose tougher sanction on beneficiaries
National is promising to impose tougher sanctions on beneficiaries who repeatedly fail to turn up to job interviews. Punishments could include mandatory community work or having their welfare support… Audio
National says traffic light policy for beneficiaries driven by 'love'
Cruel, dehumanising and out of touch. That's one description of National's policy to get more beneficiaries into work. But party leader Christopher Luxon's reckons it's a policy driven by love. If in… Video, Audio
My Food Bag for beneficiaries criticised as denying money
Criticism of My Food Bag being given to beneficiaries as a way of denying them money. Audio
Australian government plans to drug test beneficiaries
Australia correspondent Annika Smethurst looks at plans to trial the drug testing of welfare recipients, starting with those on the Newstart and Youth Allowance. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says… Audio
Beneficiaries helped into work by govt, Auckland Council
The government and Auckland Council say they're landing jobs for beneficiaries as part of a scheme to deal with the looming skills gap.
As they pour billions of dollars into infrastructure projects… Audio
MSD spying on beneficiaries
The Privacy Commissioner John Edwards has found the Ministry of Social Development has been systematically misusing its powers while pursuing people it suspects of benefit fraud. He says the Ministry… Audio
Welfare system report: Advocates hope for more funding
A long-awaited report on how the welfare system should be overhauled will be made public later today.
Man’s long wait for apology from MSD
A seriously ill man who was forced to sleep in his car after being denied emergency accommodation by MSD wants to meet the minister and deputy CEO, who promised him an apology...but he's not having… Video, Audio
MSD needlessly probing beneficiaries' personal lives - lawyer
Half the beneficiaries investigated for fraud by the Ministry of Social Development have to answer questions about their relationship status. Audio
Calls for Mana in Mahi scheme to cover all apprenticeships
The new scheme aimed at getting thousands of young beneficiaires into work is being criticised for not going far enough to fix New Zealand's dire labour skill shortage Audio
Govt writes off pensioner debt 3x more than beneficiary debt
Newly-released Official Information Act figures show the government writes off three times as much pensioner debt as it does debts accrued by beneficiaries when they're mistakenly overpaid. But MSD… Audio
Debts cancelled more often for pensioners than beneficiaries
The government wipes the debts of superannuitants who have been accidentally overpaid three times as often as debts accrued by beneficiaries, figures reveal.
Watch: Simon Bridges on govt's families package
National would undo or restrict major components of the government's families package, leader Simon Bridges tells Morning Report. Video, Audio
Govt under pressure to boost benefits, reduce penalties
The Government's under pressure to move quickly to let beneficiaries earn more money without being penalised. The threshold for how much someone on the jobseeker benefit can earn before their payments… Audio
False tip-off led to benefit being cut with no warning
The Ministry of Social Development is insisting it made a one-off mistake in stopping a woman's benefit before they had investigated a tip she was cheating the system.
Insight: No Job, No Training, No Hope?
The number of young people not in work or training has remained virtually unchanged, despite improving financial times. Emile Donovan explores how New Zealand can engage these young people, who now… Video, Audio
'We don't support work for dole' - Willie Jackson
Minister of Employment Willie Jackson says the government doesn't support work for the dole but does support Minister of Regional Development Shane Jones and his effort to get young unemployed people… Audio
Kaikohe residents say 'Work for the Dole' won't work
The Northland community was singled out by Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones, who is pushing a proposal for a work for the dole scheme, citing the need to get people off the couch. Audio
Unemployed told "no more sitting on the couch"
Labour is calling it Ready to Work, New Zealand First is calling it Work for the Dole, but Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern insists both parties are on the same page. Audio
Community work right challenge for young beneficiaries - Harawira
Mana Party leader Hone Harawira agrees with Regional Development Minister Shane Jones that the government should step in to get young people on the benefit "off the couch". Video, Audio