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.
- Act on Support for Informal Care 937/2005 (Finlex) (in Finnish)
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.
- Access to social services (in Finnish)
- Access to health services (in Finnish)
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.
- Act on Client Charges in Healthcare and Social Welfare 734/1992 (Finlex) (In Finnish)
- Decree on Client Charges in Healthcare and Social Welfare 912/1992 (Finlex) (in Finnish)
- Act on Regional State Administrative Agencies 896/2009 (Finlex) (in Finnish)
- Act on the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health 669/2008 (Finlex) (In Finnish)
The activities of private service providers are also governed by the Act on Private Social Services.
- Act on Private Social Services 922/2011 (Finlex) (in Finnish)
Provisions on reimbursements payable for medicines and private medical care are laid down in the Health Insurance Act.
- Health Insurance Act 1224/2004 (Finlex) (in Finnish)
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.
- Military Injuries Act 404/1948 (Finlex) (in Finnish)
- Veterans Rehabilitation Act 1184/1988 (Finlex) (in Finnish)
- Act on Rehabilitation for Persons Who Served in Specified Duties in Wartime 1039/1997 (Finlex) (in Finnish)
Provisions on front-line veterans’ supplements are laid down in the Front Veterans’ Pensions Act.
- Front Veterans’ Pensions Act 119/1977(Finlex) (in Finnish
- Act on Front-line Veterans’ Supplements Paid Abroad 988/1988 (Finlex) (in Finnish)
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.
- National Pensions Act 568/2007 (Finlex) (in Finnish)
- Act on Housing Allowance for Pensioners 571/2007 (Finlex) (in Finnish)
- Act on Disability Benefits 570/2007 (Finlex) (in Finnish)
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: [email protected]
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: [email protected]