Carmel Sepuloni

Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni is refusing to commit to increasing benefit levels, despite skyrocketing demand for hardship grants to help people pay for food and housing.

She talked to… Audio

The third reading debate of the End of Life Choice Bill made for a busy, emotional day at Parliament. For The House Phil Smith caught the action in photos. 

Most of the time MPs debate about the future but last week they looked back at the first women to enter Parliament and the Crown's invasion of Parihaka Audio

New Zealand's low unemployment rate hides the fact that over half the people on a benefit are disabled or have health conditions, or are caring for someone in that situation.  Audio

Keeping people in their rentals is the new focus to stop people from becoming homeless. Yesterday the government announced an $54 million to help prevent homelessness, of which $31 million will be… Audio

Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni concedes it's shocking to see beneficiaries queuing up in the cold and dark for food and clothing grants; but she says it doesn't have to be that way. She… Video, Audio

Auckland Action Against Poverty advocates meet with beneficiaries outside a South Auckland Work and Income office every Thursday morning to help them with their claims. They say the situation is… Video, Audio

Disability advocates aren't holding out much hope today's budget will deliver the wholesale changes they are hoping for.

But at a conference at Te Papa they heard about overseas projects designed to… Audio

Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni says she's already spoken to Housing Minister Phil Twyford about complaints about Compass, and recent concerns raised on Checkpoint are not the first she's… Video, Audio

Residents who raised serious safety concerns about a South Auckland complex believe the social housing operators are now trying to silence them. They met with Social Development Minister Carmel… Video, Audio

Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni says any changes made in response to the government's welfare advisory group recommendations need to be long-lasting to be effective. Video, Audio

Tuvaluans in New Zealand hope last weekend's celebration of their art and culture in Auckland will help others learn about who they are. Audio

A new book sharing the lived experiences of Samoa's rainbow community was launches in Wellington, New Zealand. Samoan Queer Lives is a collection of personal stories from 14 fa'afafine, transgender… Audio

The Salvation Army is accusing the government of not doing enough to reduce social inequality. The Army's 2019 State of the Nation Report points out multiple problems, including record levels of… Audio

Two new groups have been formed to help one of New Zealand's largest government agencies improve the lot for Pasifika people living in the country. Audio

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

MPs acknowledge the efforts of suffragists in the past, how far the country has come and also what needs to be done as it marked the 125th anniversary of women attaining the right to vote in New… Audio

Parliament regularly does something that might be described as god-like and miraculous, but is actually commonplace. It's a cool trick though. Audio

We return to our earlier story about the huge surge in families needing government help to put food on the table. Official figures from the Ministry of Social Development shows 26,000 more hardship… Audio