Latest Beneficiaries News

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett (Victoria Evans)

Fewer young people on the dole

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says there are 14,403 young people on the unemployment benefit, a 9.2 percent decrease since December.

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Labour MP Jacinda Ardern says tax fraud is a bigger problem than benefit fraud

Focus should be tax fraud – Labour

Five-hundred-twenty-five people have had their benefits cancelled after being caught cheating the system to the tune of $5.6 million a year.

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Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says there are 29,000 fewer New Zealanders receiving benefits since the last quarter

525 wrongful benefits cancelled

Greater information sharing between Inland Revenue and the Ministry of Social Development has resulted in 525 people having their benefits cancelled.

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Minister of Health Tony Ryall (Photo: Victoria Evans)

Ministry opposed benefit reforms

The Ministry of Health repeatedly warned ministers that benefit sanctions would negatively impact families.

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New dole law saves $74m – Bennett

Making people reapply for the dole after a year has seen 21,400 go off the benefit and $74 million has been saved, the Government says.

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Associate Social Development Minister Chester Burrows

Welfare faud crackdown 'double standard'

Spouses and partners of benefit fraudsters will be criminally liable under a Government clampdown on welfare crime.

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Benefit fraud crackdown 'unfair'

The Green and Maori parties say a new crackdown on the partners of benefit fraudsters must also apply to white-collar fraudsters' partners.

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Chester Borrows wants to stop beneficaries "ripping off" taxpayers

Welfare crackdown on partners

The Govt plans to prosecute partners of beneficiary fraudsters who have benefited from the offending in the latest round of their welfare fraud crackdown.

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Social Development Minister Paula Bennett (file)

Beneficiary numbers spike in Dec quarter

Beneficiary numbers leapt in the December quarter, with 18,000 more people on benefits than in the previous quarter.

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Last year, tax evaders cheated the country of between $1 and $6 billion, while welfare fraud cost $39 million

Courts tougher on benefit fraud than tax dodging – study

New research reveals tax dodgers are ripping off the country at up to 150 times the rate of welfare fraudsters, but are being jailed much less often.

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Malcolm Campbell says the recent arrival of five families from South Auckland has led to a rise in crime

Kawerau mayor wants unemployed banned

A small North Island town says unemployed people moving into the district are more trouble than they are worth.

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For six days Mr Kuha has survived on little more than water with salt and sugar

Man hunger strikes for food vouchers

A Northland man who smashed Work and Income windows after he was refused a food grant has stopped eating.

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About 20 people took part in today's protest at the office in suburban Ellerslie, entering the building and chaining themselves to equipment (Photo: John Darroch)

Welfare cut protesters arrested

Anti-poverty campaigners protesting the Government's welfare reforms have chained themselves to the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) Auckland regional office.

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Social Development Minister Paula Bennett announced the changes earlier this month

Govt introduces new welfare bill

The Government has introduced a bill to change welfare rules so job seekers can be penalised if they fail drug tests and benefits can be stopped if people have outstanding arrest warrants.

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The drastic measure forms part of the Government's crackdown on long-term welfare dependency

Benefits cut if you don't return calls

Beneficiaries who fail to answer three phone calls and a voicemail from Work and Income are being told they'll have their welfare payments slashed in half.

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Social Development Minister Paula Bennett (C) released the report this afternoon

Welfare system costs $78.1 billion

The Government has revealed the welfare system costs $78.1 billion over the working lifetime of beneficiaries.

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Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has unveiled new "social obligations" for about 125,000 beneficiary parents

Kids to pre-school or lose benefit

Beneficiaries will have their welfare payments slashed if they fail to send their children to early childhood education or don't enrol them with a doctor, under new welfare reforms.

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