Legislation on services and benefits for older people

Provisions on public healthcare and social welfare services are laid down in the following acts:

Informal care support 

Provisions on arrangements for informal care support are laid down in the Act on Support for Informal Care.

These acts do not entitle people to services on the basis of their age but according to their need for services.

Access to treatment

The Social Welfare Act ensures that those aged 75 years or over can have their need for social services assessed within seven working days from the first contact. Provisions on the maximum waiting times for access to care are laid down in the Health Care Act.

The Act on Supporting the Functional Capacity of the Older Population and on Social and Health Services (also known as the Act on Care Services for Older Persons) contains provisions on responding to the service needs of older people and on access to services and the quality of services.

Charges for health and social services

The Act and Decree on Client Charges in Healthcare and Social Welfare lay down provisions on charges for public healthcare and social welfare services. Provisions on the supervision of healthcare and social welfare are laid down in the Social Welfare Act, the Health Care Act, the Act on Regional State Administrative Agencies and the Act on the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health.

The activities of private service providers are also governed by the Act on Private Social Services.

Provisions on reimbursements payable for medicines and private medical care are laid down in the Health Insurance Act.

Veterans with disabilities and front-line veterans

The Military Injuries Act lays down provisions on the rehabilitation and life annuities of veterans with disabilities, on health and social services for them and on reimbursements for these services to municipalities. Provisions on the rehabilitation of front-line veterans are laid down in the Veterans Rehabilitation Act and the Act on Rehabilitation for Persons Who Served in Specified Duties in Wartime.

Provisions on front-line veterans’ supplements are laid down in the Front Veterans’ Pensions Act.

Pension

Provisions on the national pension are laid down in the National Pensions Act, provisions on the housing allowance for pensioners in the Act on Housing Allowance for Pensioners and provisions on the care allowance for pensioners in the Act on Disability Benefits.

Act on Disability Benefits 570/2007 (in Finnish) Link to external website Opens in a new tab

Provisions on earnings-related pensions are contained in pension acts for different sectors.

Further information

Satu Karppanen, Ministerial Adviser 
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Department for Communities and Functional Capacity / YTO, Functional Capacity Unit / TOK Telephone:0295163549   Email Address:

Seija Viljamaa, Senior Specialist 
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Department for Communities and Functional Capacity / YTO, Functional Capacity Unit / TOK Telephone:0295163609   Email Address: