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Support and benefits The Finnish social protection system includes various forms of financial support and benefits designed to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to take part in working life and society in general. Children and parentho...

Reform encourages both parents to take family leave The Family leave reform entered into force on 1 August 2022. The number of parental leave days will increase and there will be more flexibility for parents to take leave. The reform aims to incre...

9.4.2026 | The Government is proposing changes aimed at preventing intentional misuse of social security, reducing incorrect social security payments and improving information exchange with Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.

16.4.2026 | The Government proposes amendments to the Act on Child Home Care Allowances and Private Childcare Allowances. The proposal would implement the Norwegian model for child home care allowance. The proposal seeks to promote the integration and labour market position of women with an immigrant background and to increase the participation of children in early childhood education and care.

17.2.2026 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is requesting comments on a proposal to amend the Act on Child Home Care Allowances and Private Childcare Allowances. The proposal seeks to promote the integration and employment of women with an immigrant background and to implement the so‑called Norwegian model for child home care allowance, in line with the Government Programme of Prime Minister Petter Orpo.

9.4.2026 | 1 ADI-ROM(2025)26 Restricted Strasbourg, 9 March 2026 COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON ROMA AND TRAVELLER1 ISSUES (ADI-ROM) 13th meeting Strasbourg, 1-2 April 2026 Explanatory Memorandum Recommendation to the member States on desegregation and inclusion po...

8.8.2025 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health proposes appropriations of EUR 14.8 billion for the Ministry and its branch of government for 2026. This is about EUR 475 million less than in the 2025 Budget. The funding of wellbeing services counties is not included in the appropriations for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and its branch of government. Instead, it falls under the main title of the Ministry of Finance.

13.1.2022 | The number of parental leave days will increase and there will be more flexibility for parents to take leave. The reform aims to increase equality in working life and between parents and to take better account of different types of families. The new types of parental leave will mainly apply to families where the child’s estimated date of birth is 4 September 2022 or later.   

23.9.2024 | The two memorandums published on 23 September 2024 assess the combined impacts of the changes to income security that the Government is preparing or implementing for the years 2024–2025.

16.2.2021 | The Government has completed and published its draft proposal for the family leave reform. The draft proposal will be circulated for comments between 19 February and 2 April 2021. 

23.9.2024 | The Finnish Government proposes about EUR 15.2 billion in appropriations for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and its administrative branch for 2025. This is about EUR 1.1 billion less than in 2024.

13.12.2023 | The parliamentary Social Security Committee will meet for the first time during its second term on Thursday 14 December 2023.

17.9.2021 | The Government has completed its proposal for the family leave reform, and the proposal will now proceed to Parliament for consideration as decided by the Government on 16 September. The reform is scheduled to enter into force on 1 August 2022.

16.5.2025 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health requests comments on the comprehensive reform of the Social Assistance Act by 27 June 2025. The amendments to the Act would strengthen, for example, the obligations of recipients to apply for primary benefits and full-time work. The aim is to reinforce the role of social assistance as a last-resort and temporary form of assistance and to strengthen general government finances.

28.6.2022 | Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen will visit Tallinn on 29 June to meet with Estonia’s Minister of Social Protection Signe Riisalo. The topics to be discussed include the situation of Ukrainian refugees and the social security systems in both countries and developing them. 

16.3.2023 | The Social Security Committee’s interim report was published on Thursday 16 March 2023. The report includes 31 proposals for reforming social security under future governments and the policy guidelines for the Committee’s work during its second term.

15.2.2021 | Press conference on family leave reform, 16 February 2021 Minister Aino-Kaisa Pekonen Family leave reform 15.2.20211 | • Same amount of leave per each child, irrespective of the type of the family • Non-discrimination and equality would increase •...

26.3.2024 | Finland’s social security reform aims to streamline and simplify the social security system and to introduce more incentives for work. During this parliamentary term, the social security reform will include both government projects and the work of the Social Security Committee.

19.10.2023 | The Government decided on 19 October 2023 to change the composition and duties of the Social Security Committee for the remainder of the Committee’s term.

8.1.2020 | A new calculator has been published for people who are planning to use family leave. With the calculator, they can assess how family leave periods of different lengths would affect their future pension and compare their pension accrual during family leave with what they would earn as pension if they worked the same period. The calculator, provided by the Finnish Centre for Pensions, is part of a project promoting gender equality in pensions.