The Department offers a complex range of services which have direct or indirect impact on the lives of about one in three adults and their families in New Zealand, and these include over 460,0000 seniors in receipt of the New Zealand Superannuation and Transitional Retirement Benefit around 40,000 New Zealand seniors living overseas in receipt of pension payments as part of international agreements over 31,000 people in receipt of War Disablement, Surviving Spouse or Veteran pensions over 404,000 people who, because of their health, family or employment circumstances, are in receipt of income support including the Unemployment and Sickness benefits and other supplementary benefits, support and case management services around 56,000 people in receipt of Student Allowances and 143,000 people in receipt of Student Loans for the 2001 calendar year around 1.1 million people in receipt of a Community Services Card at any one time. The Department is organised into 13 regions, each managed by a Regional Commissioner. Despite being small, the New Zealand labour market shows remarkable diversity. The regionalised structure of Work and Income NZ allows maximum flexibility and local responsiveness to address regional need in a timely and appropriate manner. This regional flexibility is balanced by a national framework for consistency.
National strategy is managed from the national office in Wellington.
Clients are also assisted over the telephone by Customer Service Representatives who are available via the Department's 0800 numbers. In addition, the Department has a network of Benefit Control teams, Debt Collection units, a National Community Services Card Centre and an International Affairs office. With the overall goal of enhancing and developing existing organisational capability, the work of Business Development, Communications and Government Relations includes managing relationships with government, public and other key stakeholders. Human Resources provides consultancy on human resources policy, activity and processes, organisational development, training and development and payroll. The Finance Group provide financial management services including strategic advice.