About MSD
Our Ministry is all about helping to build successful individuals, and in turn building strong, healthy families and communities.
It’s a big job - we’re tackling some of the big issues in society, like family violence and youth offending.
We’re working towards this through providing:
- care and protection of vulnerable children and young people
- employment, income support and superannuation services
- funding to community service providers
- social policy and advice to government
- student allowances and loans.
Our work touches the lives of more than one million New Zealanders. In 2007 we provided:
- retirement income support to over 500,000 older people
- financial support to about 261,000 working age people unable to work through health family or employment circumstances
- help with living expenses for the 1.1 million people receiving a Community Services Card
- Student Loans to some 134,000 people to help with their full time study costs
- Student allowances to around 52,000 students to help with their living costs.
This is not work we do alone. We work closely with other government agencies, non-government organisations, advisory and industry groups, and communities and iwi. Together we aim to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of New Zealanders.
