Babies born in deprived areas of the North are 23% more likely to die in childhood than in other places, it emerged today.

A benefit fraudster was jailed for nine months today and ordered to hand over more than £120,000 (€178,000)under a confiscation order.

A Co Antrim woman was today given a suspended jail sentence and ordered to repay £21,000 (€31,000) in fraudulently claimed British government benefits.

A law introduced to strip master criminals of their ill-gotten gains was used today against a housewife convicted of benefit fraud.

Police were called today to stop Belfast postal workers staging a wildcat strike from blocking the entrance to Northern Ireland’s main sorting office in Co Antrim.

The Northern Ireland Child Support Agency has faced more complaints about its services in the past year than at any time since it was established, a report revealed today.

A civil servant, who suffers from asthma, was forced to endure a “walk of shame” because of his poor attendance record, an industrial tribunal heard today.

Striking civil servants will attempt to hit the payment of grants and subsidies to Northern Ireland’s thousands of farmers when they extend industrial action next week, it was announced today.

Striking civil servants will attempt to hit the payment of grants and subsidies to Northern Ireland’s thousands of farmers when they extend industrial action next week, it was announced today.

It is claimed a backlog in sickness benefit claims in Belfast was caused by a faulty new computer system.

Almost 2,500 staff at social security offices across Northern Ireland are to strike later today over plans to extend opening hours.

A planned new centre in Derry for the processing of pension claims could create 190 jobs in the city, it was announced today.

Four people have been arrested and charged in Belfast following a lengthy investigation into organised social security fraud, police said today.

A textiles company is closing a plant in Northern Ireland with the loss of 200 jobs, it was announced today.