The Ministry of Social Development has apologised after a case manager mistakenly told a woman her benefit was stopped because she had been on two Tinder dates.
RNZ reports the ministry has apologised to the South Auckland solo mother of three over the incident.
The woman said she told her Work and Income case manager the man paid for dinner and a movie, though she had offered to pay for herself.
The case manager had said it was a dependent relationship.
"Now I'm on the benefit they want to treat me like garbage," RNZ quoted the woman, who was not named, as saying.
The ministry said it did not suspend her benefit because she had told them she'd gone on two dates, and would never stop paying someone for that reason.
Her benefit was stopped because of separate allegations which have since been dropped after the ministry could not substantiate them, it said.
It had received an allegation she had been living with a partner, shared a mortgage with him, and that they both had jobs.
Secondly, she failed to attend two consecutive appointments this month, the ministry said.
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