Residence-based welfare law reform takes effect
Changes to residence based social welfare legislation approved by parliament ratified by the President in summer 2004 took effect from the beginning of this year.
The change in legislation seeks more effectively to meet international demands and increase labour mobility. These concern new regulations on the national pension, family pension, child allowance, maternity allowance, disability support and child care support. Entitlement to these benefits has usually only covered people living in Finland. Legislation on sickness benefit will also be changed
Under the new legislation, benefit entitlements are now available to people working in Finland or conducting business in the country from other EU and ETA countries, if their working presence in Finland lasts a minimum of four months at a stretch. The reform of legislation also includes sickness benefit. The altered benefit entitlements do not include unemployment benefits, which still require residence in Finland.