Work and Income Assistance Profile

What is the purpose of Work and Income assistance?

Work Brokers and Case Managers, from Work Income, engage with Reintegration Teams and Corrections Inmate Employment (CIE), to assist prisoners find suitable work and access income assistance, prior to their release.

Who provides this assistance?

These Work Brokers and Case Managers are based in prisons, and are employed by Work and Income - part of the Ministry of Social Development.

What services are provided?

The Work Brokers and Case Managers provide the following services to offenders:

• assist prisoners in completing employment skills assessments;
• assist prisoners to find suitable employment on release;
• assist prisoners to access and complete applications for income assistance, Steps to Freedom Grants and Recoverable Assistance Grants; and
• provide In-Work support for offenders post-release, to ensure they remain in their place of employment - eg. upskilling them to match job requirements.

Work Brokers may also assist CIE in its Release to Work programme, by sourcing employment opportunities for eligible prisoners. Release to Work provides prisoners, who are nearing their release date or have reached their parole eligibility date, with an opportunity to obtain employment within the community.

Which prisoners can access this service?

Work and Income Work Brokers and Case Managers work with all prisoners who voluntarily wish to access the service.

Prisoners are able to access the service at least ten weeks prior to release. They are offered the following opportunities:

• to attend a Work and Income overview presentation;
• to complete a work skills assessment;
• to develop an employment plan; and
• to apply for Work and Income financial assistance to coincide for their release.

Prisoners appearing before the Parole Board may have information provided to their Sentence Planner and Probation Officer, for inclusion in the parole assessment report, regarding suitable types of employment in the area to which the prisoner will eventually be released. This is based on a skills assessment, proposed release conditions and known industries with vacancies.

How are prisoners referred to the service?

Prisoners are referred to Work and Income Work Brokers and Case Managers by Principal Corrections Officers.

Requirements of prisoners

The Work and Income assistance is a voluntary service. Prisoners must be motivated to take positive steps towards their employment to assist with their successful reintegration into the community.

Locations & Contacts

Work and income staff are based at all prisons and can be contacted via the respective prison’s general phone number.