Stories by Sarah Robson

How does abortion law work at the moment, and what does the government's new bill mean? Social issues reporter Sarah Robson looks at the major changes and the facts under debate.

The Ministry of Social Development has been contacted by just 61 people following a damning inquiry by the Privacy Commissioner into its fraud investigation tactics.

ACC has confirmed it will challenge a High Court decision that said it should have accepted a claim from a woman who later died of a cancer caused by inhaling asbestos.

The daughter of an elderly woman, who died while in the care of the Waitematā District Health Board four years ago, says her mother's death was violent and traumatic.

More than 100 children in Oranga Tamariki care were harmed in the three months to March - and three-quarters of them were Māori.

Deanna Trevarthen's family continued the legal fight over ACC cover after her death at the age of 45 from asbestos-related lung cancer. Audio

One in five children are living in households where putting food on the table is a struggle, according to a new report from the Ministry of Health.

Detailed figures from Oranga Tamariki reveal eight instances in six months where its staff have harmed children in care.

A new report says the way relationships are defined under current welfare rules are unclear and decisions are often left in the hands of Work and Income staff.

Changes to better protect the victims of sexual violence as their cases go through the courts have been unveiled by the government. Video

A lawyer who has taken cases against the Ministry of Social Development says the ministry needs to completely overhaul its fraud investigation unit.

The Ministry of Social Development is being told it has to do more, and now, for the beneficiaries who have been on the receiving end of over-zealous fraud investigators.

MSD has been unjustifiably intruding on the lives of beneficiaries, with third parties collecting intimate messages, as well as police and banking records, says the Privacy Commissioner. Audio

A solo mum who's had her benefit cut by $28 a week for six-and-a-half years says the government is waiting too long to scrap the sanction that's leaving her out of pocket.

The government's initial response to the welfare expert advisory group's 200-page report is "pathetic", National says, with interest groups and the Green Party also saying more needs to be done.

A report recommending 42 changes to social security - including revamps of abatement rates and solo parent sanctions - has been released as the government begins its overhaul of the welfare system.

A long-awaited report on how the welfare system should be overhauled will be made public later today.

Fisheries New Zealand is introducing a recreational catch limit for bluefin tuna for the first time to help stocks recover.

Former Conservative Party leader Colin Craig will face a second trial on claims he defamed Taxpayers' Union founder Jordan Williams.

An organisation supporting families affected by the Christchurch mosque attacks says mental health support will be needed for some time to come.

The daughter of Haji-Daoud Nabi, who was gunned down in Christchurch's Al Noor Mosque, says she isn't sure the reality of her father's death has really sunk in.

For the first time, Oranga Tamariki has laid bare just how much harm and abuse is being done to children in its care.

The high cost of burials is leaving low income families with no choice but to cremate their loved ones even if it's against their beliefs, the Funeral Directors Association says.

The Salvation Army is launching its own truck shop, in a bid to stamp out unethical mobile traders who are trapping people in a cycle of debt.

Despite the odds being stacked against them, three New Zealand dotterel chicks have managed to make it through the peak summer period on one of Auckland's busiest beaches.