Social assistance

Shortly

  • Social assistance is a last-resort form of social security that secures the essential livelihood for an individual or a family when they cannot support themselves with other income or assets.
  • It is a means-tested benefit, aiming to both support people’s ability to cope independently and prevent social exclusion.
  • The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) is responsible for granting basic social assistance, while the wellbeing services counties are responsible for supplementary and preventive social assistance. 
  • Decisions on social assistance must be made without delay. Clients have the right to appeal against a decision affecting them.
  • Clients also have the right to accessible services and personal discussions.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for social assistance legislation and its development as part of social welfare. The relevant acts are available on Finlex.

Social assistance can be paid to any individual or family who needs support and whose other disposable means, such as income and assets, are not enough to cover their essential daily expenses. 

Social assistance is a means-tested benefit, and it is usually granted for a month at a time. Its amount is based on the client’s essential expenses.

The amount of social assistance paid is the equivalent of the amount of expenses that remains after the acceptable expenses have been deducted from the client’s disposable income and assets.

Usually, a social assistance recipient has other income, such as housing allowance, unemployment security or sickness allowance. In such cases, the social assistance granted is lowered by the amount corresponding to the client’s income.

Kela grants basic social assistance, wellbeing services counties grant supplementary and preventive social assistance

Applications for social assistance should be addressed to Kela, which decides whether the client is eligible for basic social assistance. The wellbeing services counties are responsible for granting supplementary and preventive social assistance.

Kela has the obligation to transfer the application to the client’s wellbeing services county if the client has included in the application expenses other than those covered by the basic amount or other basic expenses. Additionally, the client must first request a transfer either when they submit the application for social assistance or when they receive Kela’s decision.

The wellbeing services county’s social services decide whether a recipient of basic social assistance is eligible for supplementary social assistance or preventive social assistance.

Clients can apply for supplementary or preventive social assistance directly from their wellbeing services county if they have already been granted basic social assistance by Kela for the same period of time.

In exceptional cases, the wellbeing services counties can grant preventive social assistance to ensure urgent and necessary support, without the client first having to apply for basic social assistance. As a rule, it should always be established whether the client is eligible for basic social assistance. In the wellbeing services counties, social welfare professionals should be responsible for deciding on preventive social assistance so that they can make an overall professional assessment of the client’s situation. 

Kela answers inquiries about basic social assistance and provides information, guidance and advice to people who apply for basic social assistance

The wellbeing services county where you have your municipality of residence provides information about social welfare services and supplementary and preventive social assistance.

The wellbeing services counties provide social work as a free-of-charge service given by social welfare professionals. Read more about social work, social guidance and social rehabilitation:

Types of social assistance

Social assistance consists of

  • basic social assistance (basic amount and other basic expenses)
  • supplementary social assistance and
  • preventive social assistance.

Basic social assistance for daily expenses   

In the calculation of basic social assistance, the expenses to be covered by the basic amount and other basic expenses are taken into account. The basic amount laid down in the Social Assistance Act is a calculated amount of social assistance intended to cover the daily living expenses of different groups of people, corresponding to a minimum level of consumption. The basic amount is adjusted in accordance with the national pension index.

The following expenses are included in the basic amount:

  • food
  •  clothing
  • minor healthcare expenses
  • expenses for personal hygiene and keeping your home clean
  • local public transport
  • newspaper subscription
  • telephone and internet
  • hobbies and recreation
  • other comparable expenses in the daily life of the person and their family.

Other basic expenses which are taken into account up to a reasonable amount are housing expenses (e.g. rent or maintenance charges, water, heating, electricity and home insurance premium), other healthcare expenses (e.g. prescription medicines) and necessary moving expenses. Other basic expenses include daycare costs, costs for before- and after-school activities for schoolchildren and costs incurred by the non-resident parent for seeing their child. It is also possible to receive basic social assistance for the costs of obtaining a necessary identity, residence or travel document.

All available reductions to fees and payments should be utilised before basic social assistance can be granted.

Supplementary social assistance for special needs              

The wellbeing services counties may grant supplementary social assistance on a discretionary basis for expenses arising from the special needs or circumstances of an individual or a family that are considered necessary to secure their livelihood or promote their ability to cope independently. 

Special needs or circumstances can include long-term receipt of social assistance, a long-term or serious illness, special needs related to children’s leisure activities, or other comparable circumstances or needs. 

Preventive social assistance for independent coping              

The wellbeing services counties also grant preventive social assistance. They decide on the grounds for this assistance under the Social Assistance Act. The purpose of preventive social assistance is to promote a person's or a family's ability to cope independently and prevent social exclusion.

Preventive social assistance can be granted, for instance, to secure housing, to alleviate difficulties caused by over-indebtedness or a sudden deterioration of the financial situation and for other purposes to promote the recipient’s ability to cope independently.

Decision-making in social assistance matters

The decision on social assistance must be given no later than on the seventh weekday after the filing of the application. In urgent cases, the decision must be made on the same weekday or at the latest on the following weekday. 

Social assistance services must be accessible, taking into account the needs of different client groups. The applicant must be provided with an opportunity to have a personal discussion with a Kela official or a social worker or social instructor of the relevant wellbeing services county at the latest on the seventh weekday following the day when the applicant requested it. Kela and the wellbeing services county may also meet with the client together, and the client has the right to request a joint meeting.  

A decision on social assistance is issued in writing, and it contains the reasons for the decision. 

How to request a review of a decision on social assistance or to appeal against it

A decision on social assistance always includes instructions on how to request a review of the decision or to appeal against it. People dissatisfied with the decision on basic social assistance may request a review of the decision from Kela’s Appeals Management Centre.

Those dissatisfied with the social assistance decision issued by their wellbeing services county may request a review of the decision from the wellbeing services county. 

A decision on the request for a review may be appealed against to an administrative court and, in some cases, to the Supreme Administrative Court if it grants leave to appeal. 

If you are not satisfied with the treatment you received in matters relating to basic social assistance, you may:

  • file an administrative complaint with Kela if you believe that one of its units or officials has acted or otherwise carried out measures unlawfully, incorrectly or inappropriately. Kela handles such complaints internally. An administrative complaint may also be filed if an official or a unit has failed to act or has neglected their duties. However, an administrative complaint cannot be used to request a review of a decision made by Kela concerning a benefit.
  • contact the Parliamentary Ombudsman if you suspect that a public authority or official has failed to comply with the law or to fulfil their obligations or that fundamental and human rights have not been appropriately implemented.

In case you are not satisfied with the service or treatment you have received from the social services of your wellbeing services county: 

  • The social services ombudsperson of your wellbeing services county provides advice and assistance in matters related to the status of social welfare clients. The social services ombudsperson may also advise on how to request a review of a decision on social assistance or how to appeal against it. The social services ombudsperson has no competence in matters concerning Kela’s activities. 
  • You may lodge an objection with the head of the unit or the senior officeholder in the social welfare services. However, before submitting an objection, you should try to settle the matter with the persons who processed your application.
  • You may file a complaint with the supervisory authority: the Regional State Administrative Agency (AVI) in your region, the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) or the Parliamentary Ombudsman. 

 Inquiries:

National Advisory Board on Social Assistance

Operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the National Advisory Board on Social Assistance is tasked with monitoring application practices and cooperation between the authorities concerning social assistance and making proposals on matters relating to social assistance. 

The Advisory Board consists of representatives from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, the City of Helsinki, the social services of the wellbeing services counties, the Association of Finnish Cities and Municipalities and the Finnish Federation for Social Affairs and Health.

Further information

Ritva Liukonen, Senior Specialist 
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Department for Insurance and Social Security / SVO, Benefits Unit / ETU Telephone:0295163278   Email Address: