Our role
We are responding to the impact of the recession by helping people to get employment and training opportunities, by helping individuals and families to maintain stability and wellbeing and by managing the increased demand for our services. This is our commitment to supporting New Zealanders in these tough economic times.
We are the lead agency for the social sector. Our services are important to every New Zealander at some point in their life or in their family’s lives. We help government to set priorities across the sector, to co-ordinate the actions of other social sector agencies and to track changes in the social wellbeing of New Zealanders. We do this by providing evidence-based advice to government, through working with other government and non-government organisations, employers and industry, private organisations, advisory and industry groups, and communities and iwi.
We have around 300 sites that provide services to more than 1.6 million people.
Our core business is to provide services to those in need, helping people to help themselves be successful in their lives. We do this through:
- employment, income support and superannuation services – Work and Income and Senior Services
- the care and protection of, and youth justice services for, at-risk children and young people – Child, Youth and Family
- connecting families with their communities and funding early intervention programmes – Family and Community Services
- student allowances and loans – StudyLink
- protecting taxpayers’ money through fraud investigations and debt collection.
